


The Light at the End of the Tunnel

by Peachlin



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Angst, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Steve Rogers, Bullying, Child Abuse, Claustrophobia, Clingy Peter Parker, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Tony Stark, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Foster Care, Gaslighting, Happy Ending, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Past Child Abuse, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Without Powers, Physical Abuse, Poor Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Violence, Whump, Worried Tony Stark, touch-starved peter parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-08-11 03:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20146780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peachlin/pseuds/Peachlin
Summary: Peter's life has never really been sunshine and rainbows. Sure, there have been some good moments, but sometimes it's hard to remember them when the bad memories overshadow the good. First, his parents died, then Ben, and now May. That's not the worst of it though; after the accident, Peter is placed in foster care. Moved from one abusive home to another, he dreams of being saved. Will anyone hear his pleas for help, or is he destined to suffer?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been going back and forth on whether I should post this. I haven't finished it yet, but it's been so long since I've uploaded anything. I have 29,000 words so far, and I'm almost done, so I decided that it was time to post the first chapter. I'm still pretty new to writing, so I do apologize for any mistakes, I've read this chapter so many times but if I did miss something, please, let me know.
> 
> This story is AU. Peter doesn't have his powers, but the Avengers are a thing. Some of the characters are OOC, but I just wanted everyone (Steve and Tony) to get along! Is that too much to ask? I don't think this is a Stony fic? Like I said, I haven't finished yet, but if you have a preference, let me know!
> 
> A lot about Peter's past is revealed in chapter two, so I'm not going to explain it here.

Chapter One

Peter Parker was having a bad day.

First, he slept through his alarm; then, when he did wake up, he only had 20 minutes to get to school. Of course, it took 40 minutes to get there, so he was going to be late no matter what. Then, as he was stepping off the train, someone ran by and stole his backpack. He gave chase, but after a block and a half, the backpack thief disappeared. Peter stopped and slumped forward, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He growled in frustration when he looked around and realized that he had run away from the school.  _ I'm so late. If He finds out, he'll kill me. _

"There isn't even anything of value in there. Just notebooks, pencils, and my lunch." He grumbled as he trekked the rest of the way to school. _ At least I left all my textbooks in my locker yesterday.  _ The teen thought sadly; he shuddered at the thought of having to tell his foster father that he needed new textbooks.  _ He would find some way to blame me for losing them and then he’d probably beat me for it. _

Peter finally made it to Midtown Tech. He was 47 minutes late. The brunette jumped when the bell rang; he hoped that he would be able to blend in with the crowd and make it to his locker and second-period without any of the faculty noticing.

Peter closed his locker just as Ned walked up. "Hey, Peter. Where were you?" He asked.

"I slept through my alarm, and then someone stole my backpack," Peter answered sullenly.

Ned winced and clapped a hand on his friend's back, missing the way the smaller teen’s face pinched in pain. "That really sucks dude. Did you lose any textbooks?"

"No. Thank God.”  _ I wouldn't have been able to hide that from Him.  _ Ned knew that Dave wasn’t very nice, but he didn’t know everything. He thought that it was at least better than the group home. It wasn’t, at least there he had people that cared about him. Sometimes he wondered about Sammy, and if his new placement was better or worse. Not knowing whether his pseudo little brother was safe or not killed the teen; his urge to protect those smaller and weaker than himself sparked every time he thought about the seven-year-old.

"I can bring my old one tomorrow if you want." Ned offered in hopes of cheering the brunette up.

Peter Looked up and gave a weak smile in appreciation. "Thanks, Ned. You're the best."

"No problem. Let's get to class before we're late. Again." Ned said as he pulled the smaller teen down the hall.

\-----

By the time lunch rolled around, Peter was exhausted. He had woken in the middle of the night after a nightmare. It hadn’t been a particularly bad one, but it had been difficult to fall back asleep afterward. Mostly because the teen had been worried that he had woken his foster father, he hadn’t, but every time Peter had started to drift off to sleep, he would jolt awake because he thought he heard footsteps on the stairs. It was why he had slept through his alarm.

He and Ned sat at their usual table toward the back of the cafeteria. Peter's stomach growled.  _ As if I needed to be reminded that I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday. _

"Here, have part of my sandwich," Ned said as he placed half of a tuna salad sandwich in front of his best friend.

The brunette smiled sadly before responding. "Thanks, Ned. Have I told you that you're the greatest?"

"Yup, but I wouldn't mind hearing it a few more times." He said with a smile.

"You're the greatest, Ned," Peter said before laughing. He took a bite of the sandwich and savored the first meal he'd had in 24 hours. When Peter had gotten detention last week, Dave had been furious; he had decided that a week without breakfast or dinner should teach him to behave while at school. He had been so relieved that missing a few meals was his only punishment.  _ It could have been so much worse.  _ The boy shuddered at the thought. He hadn't even done anything wrong, Flash had pulled an awful prank and managed to blame it on Peter. The teen had tried to convince Mr. Watts to give him lunch detention and to please,  _ please _ , not tell Dave, but Mr. Watts had always hated him and did the opposite. He gave Peter two days of after-school detention and made the phone call right in front of the teen.

Suddenly, something sticky hit the brunette in the back of the head before falling to the floor with a wet plop. "Hey, Penis! Did you have to mug a hobo for that shirt? Cause I'm pretty sure it belongs in the trash!" Flash yelled before cackling.

"Ignore him. He's just jealous because you're smarter than him." MJ said as she sat down across from Peter. She handed him a napkin, and the teen wiped the mayonnaise from his hair. The teen smiled at his newest friend.

"That doesn’t really make me feel any better." He admitted pitifully.

"I'll just punch him in his ugly face next time. Maybe he'll leave you alone after that." She responded, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Thanks, MJ, but that will probably just make it worse." He said sullenly. The bell rang, and everyone hurried to their next class.

The rest of the day went pretty well until his seventh period. Flash was in Peter's math class and would always give him dirty looks when the brunette answered a question correctly. The bully had tried to pass a note to his friend, but somehow, it ended up on Peter's desk when Mrs. Forrest looked his way. The teacher confiscated the note, read it, and threw it away without so much as a glance at the brunette.

When the bell rang, Flash must have had somewhere to go because he practically sprinted for the door. _ Usually, he liked to try and corner me on my way out. _ The teen was about to walk out of the room when someone spoke behind him.

"Peter, would you stay behind for a moment, please?" Mrs. Forrest asked.

The teen froze for a second before turning around and nodding. "Okay,"

"You're not in trouble. I know that note was Flash's." She said softly. Peter looked up and didn't see any indication of deception. It had been nearly a year since an adult had shown him much kindness. "How often does Flash bully you? I've noticed the bruises." She asked as sorrow filled her eyes.

Fear spiked through the boy.  _ She's seen the bruises? _ He instinctively pulled his too-long sleeves down farther. "Uhh… J-just sometimes. He doesn't usually leave marks. He's just jealous cause I'm smarter than him." He repeated what MJ always told him, but he didn't believe that the words were true.  _ If I'm so smart, why do I always mess everything up? _

"I could talk to him or his parents if you want." The teacher offered.

"N-no, thanks, it's fine. I'm dealing with it."  _ If she told anyone and He found out…Flash never leaves bruises, harsh words and humiliation are his weapons of choice. _

"You don't have to deal with it alone." She insisted.

"I'm okay, really. Thank you for the offer, though."

"Okay, Peter. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

The teen nodded and hurried to his locker. He didn't have much time, and he didn't want to miss his train.

\-----

Peter had math homework, so he had to carry his textbook home.  _ Man, textbooks are heavy. _ He thought as he stepped off the last train. _ I just hope that He is in a good mood today, maybe he'll let me have dinner tonight. _

Peter stood on the front porch, trying to work up the courage to open the door. He was terrified that Dave had found out about him being late to school.  _ What would he do if he found out? _ The brunette took a deep breath and carefully opened the door. He stepped in and quietly shut the door before he turned and scanned the living room. Peter let out a sigh of relief when he didn't see Dave in his usual spot in front of the TV. The brunette silently made his way through the house toward his room. He almost made it to the stairs when a hand shot out and shoved him into the wall. The teen yelped in surprise as he dropped his textbook. He looked up into the eyes of his tormentor and shivered at the anger that filled his eyes.

"Why weren't you at school this morning?" The man barked.

Peter started trembling as he tried to think of what to say that would piss the man off the least. "I-I...I'm sorry." The terrified boy whispered to the floor.

Dave grabbed Peter around the throat and pinned him to the wall. The brunette gasped and hastily wrapped his hands around the much larger man's wrist. "Where. Were. You." Dave growled.

"I sl-slept through my alarm." He responded shakily as tears slid from his eyes.

Dave yanked the teen forward before slamming him back into the wall.

"I'm sorry! Please, I'm sorry!" Peter sobbed.

"Your teacher called me last week when you got detention. Today I got a call from the principal; he said that you missed your first class. I was at work for both calls. You're making me look bad in front of my co-workers!" Dave yelled before punching the boy in the stomach.

Peter gasped as the air was forced from his lungs. Dave released his grip, and the brunette slumped to the floor. "I'm sorry." He panted.

"Sorry, doesn't cut it! You need to do better! Stop being so worthless. Stop being a burden. Perhaps another two weeks on food restriction is in order." The man growled before kicking Peter in the chest.

The helpless teenager curled into a ball, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"I'm sick of having to repeat myself! Get your shit together!" Dave yelled before continuing to kick the lump on the floor.

The teen yelped when a harsh strike landed on his shoulder. After a few more blows, Dave stopped and panted. "I think a night in the closet is a good start for your punishment."

Peter closed his eyes and let out a sob. "I-I'm sorry. Please, I'll do better. I p-promise." He begged.

The man ignored him, and his hand shot out to tangle in the boy's hair. The teen grabbed onto the appendage and tried to relieve some of the pressure. He yelped as he was dragged down the hall to the closet. Dave dropped him and opened the door. He pulled out a roll of duct tape and kicked Peter over to his stomach. The brunette held still and silently cried as his hands were tied behind him. If he tried to fight it would just bring more pain. "Do you need some on your mouth as well?"

"N-no, sir," Peter said quietly.

Dave yanked the teen up and threw him into the closet before he glared down at him. It seemed as though he wanted to say something, but the moment passed, and the door slammed shut. Dave had never put a lock on the door, but Peter was always too scared to leave before he had permission.

  
Peter whimpered in fear. He was almost glad to be in the closet. Anything was better than the basement. He quietly sobbed as he tried to remember what it felt like to be loved and protected.  _ I miss you so much, May. I wish you were here. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is struggling and he, literally, runs into Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished this fic! That is why I am updating today, so happy Saturday! I still have some editing to do, but I'll do that as I upload the chapters.
> 
> Tony shows up! Most of this chapter is in his POV. There is also a lot of info on Peter's past.

Peter woke to a bright light streaming through the open door. Dave looked down at him with a sorrowful look on his face. “Why do you make me do this to you, Peter?”

“I’m sorry, sir.” The teen whispered.

The man knelt and placed a gentle hand on the boy’s face. He tried to fight it, but Peter leaned into the soft touch. He was ashamed that he so readily accepted the kindness, but he was so touch starved that he couldn’t help himself. The hand disappeared, and a moment later, the tape was being removed from his wrists.

“Do your chores and get ready for school,” Dave said softly.

“Yes, sir,” The teen said as he stood and walked toward the bathroom. It had been fourteen hours since he had last gone, and his bladder wasn’t about to let him forget.

“And Peter?” The man called.

The boy froze, and half turned toward the voice.

“Don’t be late.”

“I won’t be, sir. I promise.” The brunette assured his foster father.

“Good. I’ll see you when I get home from work.”

Peter nodded and went to complete the task that his body desperately needed. He sighed in relief after he relieved himself and quickly washed his hands so that he could finish his chores in time to make it to school.

He collected Dave’s clothes and started them in the wash. Next, he went to the kitchen and started unloading the dishwasher. Then the teen grabbed the vacuum and ran it over the living room floor. Once he was satisfied, he put the vacuum away and made his way to the bathroom for a shower. 

He stripped out of his clothes and stood in front of the mirror, grimacing at the injuries that colored his skin. Dave had only ever hit Peter’s face once; now, he mostly went for his body and arms. The teen examined an especially dark bruise on his left shoulder; he moved his arm around experimentally. It was painful to lift it above his head, but he could manage. _ At least it’s not dislocated. _ He thought sullenly as stepped into the shower.

Once he was clean and dressed, Peter went downstairs to make his lunch, the one meal he was allowed to have for the next two weeks. It was tempting to sneak just a little bit of food, but it wouldn’t be worth it if he got caught. Reluctantly, the teen returned the lunch meat, cheese, and mayonnaise to the fridge before moving Dave’s clothes to the dryer. He checked over his other work before grabbing his things and making his way to the train.

\-----

Peter had stepped off of the train and started to walk the rest of the way to school. He was about a block from his destination when he ran into something solid. The teen dropped his textbook and lunch as he fell to the ground. The man he had run into turned and looked down with surprise written across his face. The man seemed to be in his forties; he had short brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a goatee. “I-I’m so sorry sir. I w-wasn’t paying attention.” The older man smiled and reached a hand down to help the boy up, but it fell when the teen flinched back. Peter grabbed his things and quickly stood.

“It’s okay, kid. It was an accident. Are you okay?” Tony smiled encouragingly when the frightened teenager looked up.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay.” His eyes widened. _ That’s Tony Stark! Oh my God, I just ran into Tony freaking Stark! Why can’t I do anything right? _ He thought before looking at the ground. “It was my fa-fault. I’m sorry.” _ Stupid klutz. Useless. Waste of space. _Dave’s words flew through his mind as he quickly walked around the billionaire and finished his journey to school.

\-----

Tony Stark grumbled as he walked down the street toward his car. He needed to get back to the tower before the team meeting, or Fury would be pissed. _ Why does everyone insist on having meetings at the crack of dawn? Granted, I haven’t been to bed yet, but that doesn’t mean I want to be out this early! _ He had just spotted his vehicle at the end of the block when something hit him from behind. He turned around to see a person on the ground. He looked about 13 or 14; he had curly brown hair and brown eyes. The teen on the ground looked up, and Tony’s heart beat a little faster at the look of fear in his eyes. 

“I-I’m so sorry sir. I w-wasn’t paying attention.” Peter said quietly.

Tony smiled at how polite the kid was as he held his hand out to help him up. He frowned when the child flinched back. _ It’s as if he expected me to hit him. _ Tony thought sadly. The billionaire dropped his hand as he watched the teen grab his book and paper sack before stiffly getting to his feet. “It’s okay, kid, it was an accident. Are you okay?” The mechanic gave, what he hoped was, an encouraging smile when the teen looked up.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay.”

The genius watched as the boy’s eyes widened in recognition before he quickly looked at his shoes. Tony took the opportunity to examine the teen more closely. He was skinny, like I-haven't-eaten-in-a-week skinny. His clothes were worn with use. His shirt was too big; he was practically swimming in it. His pants were too short but looked to be too big around the waist. His shoes, if they could even be considered that, looked like they would disintegrate any minute. The billionaire squinted at what looked like a bruise peeking out of his shirt collar.

“It was my fa-fault. I’m sorry.” The boy said hastily before he dodged around Tony and practically ran down the sidewalk.

Tony turned and watched the kid until he turned the corner. He slowly made his way to the car and got in when Happy opened the door for him. His brow furrowed in thought. _ That kid was terrified; he flinched like he expected me to hurt him. _

“Everything okay Boss?” Happy asked.

The billionaire looked up with a confused look on his face. “Did you see that kid that ran into me?”

“Uhh, yeah, I think so. Skinny kid, brown hair?” Happy answered as he thought back.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Did you notice anything weird about him?”

“Weird how?” Happy asked quizzically.

“Nevermind. It’s probably nothing.” Tony said as he waved a hand dismissively.

They pulled away from the curb, and the billionaire lost himself in thought.

\-----

The mechanic was paying less attention than usual, which was saying a lot because he never paid attention to the meetings. The team kept shooting questioning looks his way whenever he missed an opportunity to crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment.

Fury looked at Tony for a moment before signing off. As soon as the screen went dark, all eyes fell on the genius.

“Is everything okay, Tony?” Steve asked.

“Hmm.” The billionaire said as he looked around. “Yeah, everything is just peachy. Are we done? I have things to do.”

“Yeah, we’re done,” Bruce said.

“Great!” Tony said as he stood and left the room.

Everyone exchanged confused looks as soon as the door closed. “What’s up with him?” Clint asked. “He didn’t speak a word the whole time. I’ve never seen him so quiet.”

“I don’t know, but something’s going on,” Steve added as he folded his arms.

“I’m sure he would tell us if he deemed it necessary,” Natasha said before getting up and leaving.

\-----

Tony made his way to the workshop. He couldn’t get that kid out of his head. _ The way he flinched away from me, how skinny he was, the bruise on his shoulder. _“J.A.R.V.I.S., bring up security footage from the train station to the end of the block. Start at 7:30.”

“Of course, sir.”

The mechanic waited for the screen to pop up as J.A.R.V.I.S. searched for the right footage. After a couple of minutes, a screen came to life. It was angled to see the train station exit. Tony watched for several minutes until he spotted the kid from earlier that morning. “Pause video.” The video froze. “Follow the kid in the red and blue shirt.” J.A.R.V.I.S. played the video, and every time the teen walked out of frame, new security footage popped up. The billionaire watched as the boy fell after bumping into him, how he flinched away from the helping hand, and then when he ran off after the encounter. “Are there any other angles?”

“There are two more clear angles. Would you like to view them?”

“Please,” Tony watched the same video twice more from each new angle. “Follow the kid to his destination.” He watched the teen until he disappeared into Midtown School of Science and Technology. _ The kid must be smart to be at Midtown_. “Go back and find a clear shot of his face.” J.A.R.V.I.S. went through the footage and found a clear angle after just a couple of seconds. “Find out who this kid is. I want to know everything.”

“Of course, sir.”

Twenty minutes later, an alert sounded, and Tony looked up from the project he was trying to distract himself with.

“I have found all the available information on Peter Benjamin Parker, sir.”

“That’s great, J.A.R.V.I.S. Put it up on the main screen.”

For the next few hours, the billionaire read every detail that J.A.R.V.I.S. had presented. Peter’s parents died when he was four. One night they left Peter with his aunt May and his uncle Ben, and then they disappeared. A few days later their bodies were found in the wreckage of a plane crash. There was an investigation, and the crash was ruled an accident. After that, Peter lived with his aunt and uncle. When Peter was twelve, his uncle was shot and killed during a robbery. The shooter was never found. When Peter was thirteen, he was admitted to Midtown on a full scholarship after he passed the entrance exam with flying colors. Two months later, just after Peter had turned fourteen, he and his aunt were in a car accident. May died on impact, but Peter walked away with a broken arm and a concussion. Without any living family, he was put into foster care. He spent three months in a group home. While he was there, several complaints about abuse surfaced. When an investigation was finally opened, it was discovered that several of the people that ran the home abused the children. During the investigation, all of the kids were interviewed.

Tony stopped reading for a moment as he tried to compose himself. “J.A.R.V.I.S. were the interviews documented?”

“Yes, sir,”

Before the billionaire could ask, a new batch of files popped up next to the one he was just reading. “I want to see Peter Parker’s interview.” All but one of the files disappeared. Tony took a deep breath before opening the file. The first thing that caught his attention was the pictures. In several of them, Peter didn’t have a shirt on, and the mechanic could see several bruises in various stages of healing all over his torso, chest, and arms. The bruises on his arms were shaped like hands. His back was covered in welts; none of the skin was split open, but Tony could make out faint scars. He was skinny in the photos, but not as bad as he seemed earlier.

He started reading over the file and the farther he got, the sicker he felt. When asked where the injuries came from, Peter simply answered, “I broke the rules, and I was disciplined.” Tony felt his anger rise. _ How could someone do this to a child? To make him think that he deserved to be beaten is just sick. _ When asked what types of “discipline” he suffered, Peter had listed off cruel punishments: Being locked in a closet, sometimes bound and gagged, for several hours or overnight. Being denied food for several meals in a row, or only being allowed to eat one meal per day for weeks at a time, being assigned so many chores that he hardly had time to sleep, beatings.

After reading the file, Tony felt physically sick. _ No wonder he was scared of me. A strange man he’s never met shoved a hand in his face. _ A wave of guilt washed over him. _ I didn’t mean to scare him. _

He looked back to the previous file to continue reading. After the home was shut down, all of the children were either moved to a new group home or placed with foster parents. Peter moved in with Davis Simpson, a single, 32-year-old doctor. Peter had been living with him for nearly nine months. No complaints had been filed, but Tony thought about the bruise he had seen and wondered if there should have been. _ If he had been in a loving and safe environment, would he still flinch at sudden movements? _

The mechanic sighed and ran his hands over his face. “What time is it, J.A.R.V.I.S.?”

“The time is 4:23 am sir.”

He nodded, knowing he wasn’t going to get much sleep. He made his way upstairs to watch a movie. He needed to figure out how he was going to help this kid.

\-----

The next morning the team gathered in the conference room. They had gotten a lead on a Hydra base in Finland. They were scheduled to fly out at 8:00 am to assist the S.H.E.I.L.D. operatives infiltrate the base.

If Tony had paid any attention during the meeting yesterday, he would have known all of this. Steve had found him on the couch at 6:00 am. He had to rehash the basics of the mission to get the man moving. When they had all made it to the jet, Bruce looked at the man in concern.

“Did you get any sleep last night, Tony?” Bruce asked. The billionaire looked up, and the scientist could see the dark bags under his eyes.

“Uhh, no, not really.” He mumbled.

“You should sleep until we get there. You won’t be any help if you’re dead on your feet.” Natasha commented.

“Yeah, sure.” The mechanic said before lying down and closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the anniversary of May's death, and Peter is trying to keep it together. Ned and MJ are good friends, and Peter takes a trip to the basement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of the reasons the graphic depictions of violence warning is there.

Peter couldn't make himself get out of bed. It had been a week and a half since the most recent closet incident. It had been two and a half weeks since the teen had eaten more than one solid meal a day. Ned had noticed his fatigue and had started bringing extra food to share. Peter would save the morsels for the train ride home; if Dave caught him eating them, he would assume that he had stolen the food, and the teen would be punished. He was having a hard time staying awake in class because he was so exhausted and, to top it off, it was the anniversary of May’s death. All he wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry. It had been the worst year of his life, and more than anything, he wanted someone to love him, to tell him he wasn’t worthless or a waste of space. Someone to hold him and say that it was okay to cry, that it didn’t mean he was weak.

_ If I don’t go to school and He finds out… _ Peter shivered at the thought of being forced back down to the basement.

He got up and put on some fresh clothes before heading downstairs for his chores. The teen did them quickly and efficiently before grabbing his things for school. It was Friday, his least favorite day because it meant a whole weekend alone with his foster father; but Dave worked till 6:00 on Friday’s so Peter would have enough time to see May and Ben after school.

He went through school on autopilot, barely saying two words to Ned when he arrived. He didn’t have the energy to do anything more than he needed to. He ate lunch in silence and was grateful when Ned and MJ let him. Even Flash left him alone. He wondered if they knew what day it was; if they had decided to leave him alone because they knew that he was being crushed by guilt and sadness. Guilt, because he survived when everyone else that he ever loved had died and sadness, because he knew that the only people in the whole world that cared for him were sitting across from him; and they couldn’t help him any more than he could help himself. He had three more years before he was out of the foster system, and he didn’t know if he was going to make it. Even if he could get emancipated at sixteen, that was still a year away, and the brunette wondered if he would still be alive by then.  _ He's gotten worse, more violent; will it get bad enough that I’ll run away to escape the pain? Or worse, would it get so bad that he’d kill me? Or would someone find out and save me, would I be moved somewhere worse? _ Peter felt his eyes burn and blinked back the tears. _ Do I even deserve to be saved? _ The teen stood and practically ran to the bathroom before he could break down and cry in the middle of the cafeteria.

He ran into the last stall and slammed the door shut just as the tears fell. He sank to the floor and brought his knees to his chest as silent sobs shook his shoulders.

“Peter? Peter, are you in here? It’s Ned.” The teen came to a stop outside the stall that held his friend. “Peter? Can I come in?” After a few moments, the stall lock clicked, and Ned carefully pushed the door open. “Oh, Peter. I’m so sorry.” He said when he caught sight of the tear-streaked face of his best friend. He knelt in front of the smaller teen and gently pulled him into a hug. Peter clung to the comfort as if his life depended on it, resting his head on Ned’s shoulder as he cried. The larger boy rubbed his hand up and down the brunette’s back, not caring that his shirt was already damp. He tried to hold back his own tears as he thought about what he could do to help. “Maybe we should go to the nurse's office. I bet she’ll let you skip class; you look like you could use a nap.”

The brunette shook his head weakly, “N-no, I’m fine.”

“Peter…”

The smaller boy pulled away and wiped his eyes. “She’ll call Him, and then I won’t be able to see May and Ben. I’m fine. Let’s go to class before we’re late.” He said as he stood. He waited for Ned to move and then walked over to the sink to wash his face. He took a few deep breaths, and once he was sure that he wouldn’t start crying again, he left the bathroom and headed for his next class. They were halfway there when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. They were the first ones in the room, so they went to the back of the room and saved a seat for MJ. When she walked in the door, Peter could see the concern in her eyes. He gave her a weak smile in an attempt to reassure her that he was fine, but he knew that she could see right through him. She sat behind him and held his hand through the whole class.

After the final bell rang, Peter left everything in his locker and made his way to the cemetery.

Peter kneeled in front of May and Ben’s graves. “Hey, Ben. Hi aunt May. I miss you guys.” The teen sniffed as tears fell from his eyes. “I’m doing really well in school just like I promised. Ned gave me his old backpack after mine got stolen a couple of weeks ago. He even shared his lunch with me.” He let out a sob before resting a hand on May’s gravestone. “I don't know if I can do this anymore May. Three years is a long time, and I don’t think I can make it without you. I’m so tired. I’m hungry all the time; I’m always covered in bruises, I just- I don’t want to be scared anymore. Sometimes I wish I had died instead of you. At least then I wouldn’t be a useless waste of space.” He let out a sob when he realized that he believed the words were true. “I know it’s selfish, but I wish you were here to protect me.” The dam broke, and tears trailed freely down his face. Quiet sobs shook his body, and he slumped to the ground. After a few minutes, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

\-----

_ “Hey, May, I’m home!” Peter shouted as he shut the door. _

_ “I’m in the kitchen!” _

_ Peter took his bag and jacket to his bedroom and made his way to the kitchen. When he turned the corner, he saw May attempting to make spaghetti, but it looked like the noodles had turned to mush. “What’s going on, May?” Peter asked with a smirk. _

_ “I was  _ trying _ to make dinner, but I think it turned into a science experiment.” She answered. _

_ “Well, I don’t feel like being a guinea pig today. Do you want me to make something? Or maybe we could go out?” _

_ “Let’s just go out. I’ll clean this up later.” She turned and smiled at Peter. “How was school?” _

_ “It was great! Remember that girl I was telling you about the other day?” _

_ “Umm… M something?” _

_ The teen laughed. “Michelle. She sat with Ned and me at lunch today!” The brunette exclaimed. _

_ “Oh, Peter, that’s great! You made another friend! I’m happy for you.” May pulled the boy into a hug. “Is she cute?” _

_ Peter pushed her back a little. “May!” He said as his cheeks flushed red. _

_ “I’ll take that as a yes.” She said with a giggle. _

_ “Okay, okay, she’s kinda cute.” The teen mumbled. _

_ “Just kinda, huh?” _

_ “Okay! She’s really cute! Are you happy now?” He said as he threw his hands in the air in defeat. _

_ She hugged him again. “If you’re happy, I’m happy.” She said before releasing Peter. “I’m starving, let’s hit the road!” The brunette laughed and followed his aunt to the street. They hailed a cab and buckled in before giving directions to the restaurant. _

_ “So…” May said with a smile. Peter looked over and smiled back. “This Michelle…how cute is she exactly?” _

_ Peter huffed in annoyance before looking out the window. “She’sreallycute.” He mumbled quickly. _

_ “I Didn’t quite catch that, Peter. What did you say?” May said with a giggle. _

_ “She’s really cute! She has wavy hair and a cute nose. She’s always reading, and she gives you a scary glare if you interrupt her…” He trailed off and smiled. _

_ “You like her, don’t you?” May said excitedly. _

_ “Yeah, okay, I guess I kinda like her.” The teen lost himself in his thoughts for a few minutes before May spoke again. _

_ “Cute nose, huh?” _

_ “May! It’s t-” _

_ He was cut off by the sound of skidding tires, and then the world went dark after a body-jarring collision. _

\-----

Peter jolted out of the nightmare. He looked around frantically before he remembered where he was. “Crap! What time is it?” He searched his bag for the watch Ben had given him. The wrist strap had broken years ago, but he kept it hidden and took care of it, so it still worked. It read 7:14. The teen felt his eyes burn with the threat of tears. “No. No, no, no.”  _ He is going to kill me.  _ He scrambled to his feet and turned to hurry home before stopping. “I love you guys; I’ll come back when I can.” The brunette ran to the nearest train station.

\-----

By the time Peter made it home, it was nearly 8:00. He tried to slow his breathing; he had run home from the train station. The teen closed his eyes and tried to prepare himself for what was to come.  _ Maybe he had to work late.  _ He thought.  _ Yeah right, and I’m the president.  _ He opened his eyes and turned the knob. He walked in and quietly closed the door. He turned to see Dave sitting in front of the TV.

“Where have you been?” He growled darkly.

Peter’s heart sped up. _He’s pissed._ _I’m going to die. _“I-”

“If the first thing out of your mouth isn’t the truth, you’re going to wish you were never born.” The man said calmly. He hadn’t looked at his foster son yet.

“I w-went to see M-May, sir.” He whispered. The teen was trembling in fear and anticipation. He went with the truth, too terrified to even attempt formulating a believable lie. He could feel himself starting to panic, and he didn’t have the willpower to stop. Dave stood and slowly walked toward Peter. The teen wrapped his arms around his stomach and lowered his gaze to the floor.

The larger man stopped a couple of feet away from the shivering child. “What are you supposed to do after school?”

The brunette closed his eyes as the tears finally fell. “Come s-straight home, s-sir.”

“That’s right, but you didn’t do that, did you?” The foster father asked as he took a step closer.

He just barely stopped himself from taking a step back. Peter’s breath was coming in shallow pants.  _ Please, not the basement. Please, not again.  _ The boy prayed to anyone that would listen. He felt his panic rise when Dave crossed his arms. He tried to remember what the question was before he made it worse. “N-no, sir,” He answered quickly. He hoped he had been fast enough to satisfy his tormentor.

“No, you didn’t. How long has it been since you’ve broken curfew?” The man asked as he took another step forward.

Peter’s mind raced.  _ When was the last time I came home late?  _ “I-I…” His foster father took another step; he was barely a foot away now. The teen let out a pitiful, fear-filled whimper. “P-please, I don’t-” That was all the boy got out before a hand wrapped around his throat. He grabbed the muscled arm with both hands as he was pinned against the door. Finally, the answer came to him. “T-two months ago!” He answered frantically. The man’s hold loosened and a thoughtful look crossed his face.

“Did you forget that lesson already?” Dave asked.

Peter let out a sob and shook his head desperately. He remembered every lesson, but there had been so many that he couldn’t always remember what he had done to deserve them.

“Clearly it didn’t stick. If it had, you wouldn’t have been late. Perhaps we’ll revisit that one.”

The dam broke for the third time in 24 hours, and the teen sobbed in utter fear. “I’m s-sorry. Please, I-I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise!”

His tormentor looked on without an ounce of mercy in his eyes. “Oh, I know it won’t. I’ll make sure of that.” The man said grimly as he shifted his hold to the brunette’s arm.

Peter started thrashing wildly; he kicked his legs and reached his hands toward the man’s face. He twisted and flailed and begged for mercy as Dave dragged him toward the basement door. As soon as they made it to the stairs, the boy went limp in defeat. He hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be thrown down those stairs. He stumbled after his foster father in a desperate attempt to keep his footing. The man tossed the teen to the floor and watched as the brunette curled into a ball and quietly cried.

“I suggest using the bathroom before we start; it took me ages to get rid of the stench of urine last time.”

The teen climbed to his feet and stumbled to the small bathroom. He was grateful for the delay, but at the same time, he longed for everything to be over. He took as much time as he dared, he had resigned himself to his fate. Peter had learned long ago that any resistance made the punishment so much worse. So he dried his eyes and readied himself to face the monster in the basement.

Dave was standing by the post with a pair of handcuffs. He used to use zip ties, but a couple of months ago, Peter had pulled so hard that he had managed to break free before the lesson was over. His foster father had been so furious, accusing him of doing it on purpose. He had beaten the teen into unconsciousness and left him tied to the post for two days with no food or water. The boy couldn’t remember what he had done to deserve the punishment, but after that incident, Dave had bought handcuffs.

“You know the drill.”

The teen’s hands were shaking as he stripped to his boxers. He walked to his tormentor and handed him the clothes. After placing them on the table, the foster father grabbed Peter’s shoulder and forced him to kneel. He cuffed the boy’s arms around the post and hooked a chain between his hands to keep them above his head. His hands were up too high for the teen to be able to rest back on his heels, so he either had to sit up or hold his weight with his wrists,

“Cane or belt?” The man wondered out loud.

_ Please, not the cane. Please, not the cane.  _ Peter thought, desperately.

“I think twenty with the belt will do,” Dave said as he walked over to the workbench that held his tools of torture.

The teen closed his eyes in relief only for them to snap back open at the sound of running water. He looked over to see his foster father filling a small bowl with the liquid before he ran the belt under the stream. He let out a terrified whimper when the man turned and dumped the water down his back. He jerked away from the cold and closed his eyes.  _ Not this. Please, not this. _

“I don’t think you’ll be forgetting this lesson anytime soon,” Dave said as he brought the belt down for the first blow.

Peter felt a white-hot line of fire across his back as the leather bit into his flesh. He jerked away from the pain and squeezed his eyes shut. The water intensified the bite of the belt, and he was unable to stop the cry of pain that escaped his lips. He felt fresh tears well as the second line of fire ignited across his flesh. Every stipe was agony, and by the fifth blow, the teen could no longer hold back the tears. He wished for the pain to end, but he knew it had barely started. He tried not to make any noise, but each blow elicited small whimpers, grunts, and gasps. Until the ninth lash, it landed over the first stripe, and he couldn’t hold in his scream of agony. After that, he could no longer keep the pain in, and he screamed when the belt struck. After sixteen blows, he couldn’t hold himself up. He was slumped against the post, his body held up by just his wrists. The boy’s body shook with sobs, and his throat was raw from screaming. When the punishment finally ended, he was barely awake. The teen felt a hand on his head, and he would have flinched if he wasn’t so weak. The combination of sleep deprivation, malnourishment, and frequent beatings was starting to take its toll.

“Are you still with me, Peter?” The man asked as he gently tipped the boy’s head back. The brunette let out a weak moan in protest as his back screamed in agony. “Open your eyes, Peter,” Dave demanded. It took every ounce of will power the teen possessed to obey the command. “Good boy. Now, have you learned your lesson?” 

“Y-yes, s-sir-r,” It came out weak and raspy but loud enough to be heard.

“What have you learned?”

“St-straight home after-er sc-school, s-sir.”

“And?”

The brunette whimpered in fear. He racked his brain for the answer, but he could barely think past the pain. “P-ple-ase,”

“That’s the wrong answer, Peter.” The man growled. “I’ll give you the night to think about it.”

The teen let out a sob.  _ Please, I can’t do this.  _ “Please, s-sir. I-I’m sorry, p-please.” The hand was in his hair again, but this time, it wasn’t gentle. Instead, Dave yanked Peter’s head back, and the boy cried out in protest.

“Your punishment will end when you’ve learned your lesson.” The foster father spat before releasing his hold. “We’ll continue this conversation in the morning.” Then, the worst pain yet exploded across his damaged back, and a bloodcurdling scream was torn from his lips. The boy’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he was engulfed by darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but this chapter was almost 4,000 long. I'm trying to keep the chapters close to the same word count, so I move about 800 words to the next chapter.
> 
> I know that a lot of people kill May off in a car accident, but I didn't really notice until I wrote this chapter. I didn't feel like changing it, so I hope you guys don't mind that it's overused.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter learns his lesson, Dave tends to his "injuries," and the teen tries not to anger the man further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe the response I've gotten for this fic! You guys are amazing!

When Peter woke, he instantly wished he hadn’t. He tried to shift the weight off of his wrists, but he only succeeded in aggravating the wounds on his back. A pain-filled whimper echoed around the room as he tried to find a somewhat comfortable position. After several painful minutes, he gave up.   
  


The boy didn’t know how long he had hung against the post. He drifted in and out of awareness before the door to freedom opened, and He walked in. “Good morning, Peter.” The teen forced his eyes open and trembled in fear as Dave came to a stop mere inches from him. “Did you learn your lesson, Peter?”

“Y-yes, sir,” The boy whispered hoarsely.

“And what, exactly, is the lesson, Peter?”

“Come straight h-home after sc-school and never go an-anywhere without permi-ssion, sir.” He prayed that he had given the right answer.

“Good boy.” The foster father said tenderly. “I’m going to clean you up today because I don’t think you have the strength to do it yourself. If you promise to be good, I’ll uncuff you and take you upstairs.”

“I’ll b-be good, s-sir. I-I promise.” Peter pleaded.

“Good, I’m going to take the cuffs off, try not to fall.”

The teen whimpered in pain as he forced his body into a kneeling position. He sniffed softly and tried to hold in the noises of pain. He cried out when his hands were released, his fingers burned with the feeling of blood flow returning. The brunette managed to stay upright until Dave scooped him up and carried him upstairs. The movement aggravated the wounds on Peter’s back, and he couldn’t hold in the whimpers of agony that every movement caused. Once they made it to the boy’s room, he was placed on his side before being rolled onto his stomach. 

“I poured alcohol on your back last night, so I’m going to start with your wrists.” The man said before he left.

This part was always the worst. It’s not that it hurt more than the actual punishment because it definitely didn’t. It was because He always seemed so caring and gentle. It made it harder to hate him because Peter craved this version of his foster father so badly. At the group home, the only people that ever showed that they cared, were the other kids. When he had been placed here, Dave had been kind at first. Peter had thought maybe he would be okay. Then, after just two days, he received his first lesson. After that, Peter had never talked back and always showed Dave respect.

He was pulled from his memories when the man came back with the first aid kit, a bowl of water, and a washcloth. He gently lifted the teen’s right wrist and started to clean the blood and grime away. Peter squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe through the pain. Once the skin was clean, Dave applied antibiotic ointment before wrapping the wrist in gauze. The same process was completed on his right wrist, and by the time it was cleaned and bandaged, the brunette could barely keep his eyes open. He did his best to stay awake; he knew that he hadn’t been permitted to sleep yet. After a lesson,  _ everything _ was a privilege. If Peter fell asleep before he was allowed, then he risked another punishment.

The sting of the washcloth made the boy’s eyes snap open for what felt like the millionth time. “P-please, sir,”

“Please, what, Peter?”

“Please, m-may I s-sleep, sir?”

It was quiet for a moment, and the teen was terrified of being denied the request; he knew he couldn’t stay awake much longer. The foster father stood and left. The brunette’s eyes slipped closed only to snap open when he felt a hand on his cheek. Fear spiked through his body.  _ Did I fall asleep? How long was I out?  _ “I-I’m sorry, sir. I’m s-sorry, ple-ase.” Peter begged as tears stung his eyes.

“Shh, it’s okay, I forgive you.” He brought a cup with a straw to the teen’s lips. “Drink it all. Then you may sleep.”

The foster son took a small sip to test his stomach. When nothing happened, he took larger, greedy gulps until the cup was empty. “T-thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome, Peter. Now sleep.”

His eyes slid shut, and within seconds, the boy was asleep.

\-----

Peter woke to the sound of Dave’s voice. “-wake up, Peter.”

The teen moaned and opened his eyes.

“There you are, I was getting worried. You’ve been asleep all day; it’s almost six.”

Fear flashed through the brunette’s veins.  _ I didn’t do my chores! Oh, God, I can’t take another beating right now.  _ “I’m s-sorry, sir.” He said as he tried to get up. He froze when he felt a hand on his arm.

“It’s okay, Peter, you’re not in trouble. How long has it been since you’ve had more than just lunch every day?”

“Almost three w-weeks, sir.”  _ I can’t even remember what it feels like to be full anymore. _

“Okay, well that needs to end. You’re too malnourished; it’s going to take much longer for you to heal than usual.”

“Th-thank you, sir,” Dave rarely ever rescinded a punishment, so Peter always made sure to show gratitude when he did.

“You’re welcome, Peter. Now, let’s see about getting you some food.”

The teen nodded and began the painful process of standing. He was shirtless, but he really didn't want the fabric to rub against his damaged skin. He had spent countless days without a shirt since moving in with Dave; it was painful for anything to touch his back after a belting and he only had a few shirts, he didn’t want to get blood on them.

Dave helped him to the kitchen, and the brunette watched as his foster father made dinner. Ten minutes later, a bowl of chicken noodle soup was placed in front of him. “I thought it would be easy on your stomach.”

“Th-thank you, sir,” He said before he brought a spoonful to his lips. It was the most wonderful thing he’d eaten in weeks. He finished in record time, and once the bowl was empty, he stood to do the dishes.

“Would you like some more?”

Peter froze halfway across the kitchen. He turned to look at his foster father. He thought it could be a trick, but he saw no deception in the man’s face. “Y...yes, sir,” The boy answered hesitantly.

“Go ahead; I made plenty.” He said as he gestured to the pot on the stove.

The teen put a new scoop in his bowl before sitting at the table. His eyes barely left the man across from him.  _ Is he trying to trick me? Is he giving me food just to take it away again?  _ He ate much slower, and when he finished, he was full. He stood and gathered his and Dave’s dishes. He took them to the sink, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher. He waited awkwardly; he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do now. Usually, he would be cleaning, but he couldn’t even make it down the stairs on his own. 

“Please, sit, Peter. We need to talk.”

The boy’s heart beat a little faster.  _ Did I do something wrong? He doesn’t look mad, but sometimes it’s hard to tell.  _ He sat down and looked at his hands.

“I realize that I’ve been a bit harsh with your punishments lately. It’s been a stressful few weeks at work, and after this morning it dawned on me that I’ve been taking it out on you. So, I would like to apologize.”

The teen looked on in surprise.  _ There’s a ‘but’ coming, I can feel it.  _ “Thank you, sir,” He wasn’t sure what to say.  _ I forgive you for beating me? Or maybe he’s apologizing about trying to starve me to death? How about for when he locks me in the closet, bound and gagged, after a nightmare?  _ Peter screamed in his head. The man nodded and opened his mouth to continue.  _ Here it comes. _

“However, I am not the only one to blame. If you followed the rules, I wouldn’t have to punish you.” He said evenly. He looked at the brunette expectantly.

“I...I’m sorry, sir. I’ll do better, I p-promise.” Peter stuttered. He risked a glance at his foster father and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his smile.

“Good. That’s all I ask, Peter. Now, do you want to sleep? Or maybe you would like to watch a movie?” The man asked.

_ That’s it? No yelling or hitting?  _ “A m-movie, sir?” He asked, hopefully.

“Of course.”

_ Does he actually want to spend time with me?  _ The boy thought as he stood to follow Dave to the living room. His foster father picked a movie, but Peter didn’t mind, it had been months since he had seen one. They sat on the couch, and as the opening credits started, the foster father noticed the teen’s eyes drooping. He gently pulled the brunette’s head into his lap. Peter froze at the unexpected gentleness. It took a few minutes, but he finally relaxed and, after only half of the movie, he fell asleep.

\-----

When Peter awoke, it was dark. He opened his eyes and noticed that he was in his bed.  _ How did I get here?”  _ The teen looked at his alarm clock to check the time. The green numbers glowed 5:12 into the darkness. The brunette rolled off of his stomach and sat up with a groan when his back twitched in protest. He slowly stood and made his way to the bathroom. Once he had relieved his bladder, he turned and looked at his naked back. It was covered in welts, and a few of the stripes had split open.  _ No wonder it felt like I’d been set on fire when He dumped the alcohol on me.  _ The boy yawned and went back to his room for a few more hours of sleep.

\-----

The next time he woke, it was to the beeping of his alarm. Peter was allowed to sleep until 8:00 on Sundays. The teen turned the alarm off and tried to force himself to get up.  _ I don’t know if I’ll be able to get my chores done in time.  _ The fear of another punishment had the brunette scrambling as fast as his battered body would let him.

Once he was in the kitchen, he went straight for the dishwasher. Halfway through unloading it, his foster father walked in.

“Good morning, Peter.”

“Good morning, sir.” The boy looked at the clock to see that it was nearly 8:30. It usually only took a few minutes to finish the dishes, but it had already been fifteen, and he was only halfway done. Dave seemed to notice, and he folded his arms. He sped up a little and tried to ignore the flairs of pain every time he moved.

“I’ll let you do the bathrooms tomorrow; you need more rest before you’re strong enough to do much. I need to check your back and wrists. The last thing I need is for you to get an infection.”

The teen nodded, finished putting away the dishes, and followed Dave to his room. The first aid supplies were still there, so Peter laid on his stomach on his bed. He sucked in a pained breath when he felt the disinfectant sting his wounds. The process was agonizingly slow and painful. When Dave was done with his back, he moved to Peter’s wrists. The man allowed the teen to sit up before removing the bandages. There were lacerations part-way around his wrists that were rimmed by bruised and swollen skin. The brunette hissed in pain when the disinfectant was applied. Once they were treated, Dave rewrapped the injuries. “Everything looks good. Nothing’s infected. After your chores, take a shower and reapply the bandages on your wrists.”

“Yes, sir,”

“Good. I have to do some work in the office today. I’ll call the school in the morning and get you at least Monday and Tuesday off. I can’t get you more than that without a doctor’s note.”

“Thank you, sir,”

The man poured himself a cup of coffee and left to get some work done. The teen finished with the dishes before he moved on to his other chores. Sunday was the day Peter dusted the house and cleaned the bathrooms, and he knew in his condition, he would have never gotten everything done in time.

He started upstairs and dusted his room and the guest room. By the time he was done, all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry. Sweat was stinging his back, and every time the teen lifted his arms, he struggled to hold in whimpers of pain. As the hours passed, he could feel his strength slowly ebb. He was almost done when his knees buckled, and he cried out in agony when he fell to the floor. The boy had tried to catch himself, but his left arm gave out at the sudden pressure, and he fell onto his side. The brunette rolled onto his stomach and tried to stand. He had made it to his hands and knees when he heard footsteps. He saw the blood on the floor and knew Dave was going to be irate.

“What happened?” The man demanded.

“I’m s-sorry, sir. I’ll c-clean up the bl-blood.” Peter whimpered.

“What blood?”

The teen had finally managed to stand, and he cowered against the wall, careful to keep his back from touching anything. He watched his foster father’s face hardened when he saw the bloodstain on the cream carpet. Peter let out a fear-filled sob when the man’s gaze lifted to him.

“You stupid klutz! Why can’t you do anything right? You’re so useless!” He yelled at the trembling boy.

The onslaught of harsh words had the brunette sinking to the floor as he tried to control the gasping sobs that ripped themselves from his body.

“Are you crying now? You’re so pathetic! Get out of my sight before I do something that I regret!” Dave snapped.

Peter scrambled to his feet and ran up the stairs to his room; he shut the door and ran to the far side of his bed. The teen curled into a ball on the floor and cried into his knees.

\-----

An hour later, Dave knocked softly at Peter’s door. After a moment of silence, the man let himself in. “Peter?” At his first glance, the room appeared empty, and fury bubbled into his thoughts. “Peter!” He shouted in anger.

The brunette jolted awake and stood immediately, gasping when the fast movement pulled at his injuries. He looked toward his door and saw his fuming foster father. “I-I’m s-sorry, sir,” He said automatically.

Dave’s anger lessened at the sight of his foster son. “I didn’t know where you were. It’s time for lunch.” He said curtly.

The teen nodded meekly and followed the man to the kitchen. They sat at the table and ate pizza and salad in silence. When Dave finished, he stood and glared down at the boy across from him. “Clean up the kitchen, and then you may take a shower. Afterward, go straight to your room.” He said before turning and walking out.

The brunette shoved his last bite into his mouth and quickly obeyed his foster father. Once the kitchen was clean, he went straight upstairs to shower. Afterward, he slept in his room until Dave fetched him for dinner. They ate in silence, and then Peter cleaned the kitchen before heading upstairs to bed. He was still weak and tired, and all he could think about was sleep. He put on fresh sweatpants before climbing into bed and falling into an exhausted sleep almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone's comments! They totally make my day!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes back to school, Tony tells the team what he learned about the teen, and the Avengers decide that they want to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for their comments and kudos! You guys are amazing! I know everyone is anxiously waiting for Tony to find out the true extent of Peter's home life. It doesn't happen in this chapter. I'm sorry if I'm dragging it out, but that's just what happened when I wrote this fic. It does get better, though, so please stick with me!

On Monday morning, Peter woke to his alarm. He felt better than he had yesterday, but his back and wrists were still tender and sore. Every movement hurt, and the boy sucked in a sharp breath as he rolled over and sat up. He sat still for a few minutes as he tried to calm himself down and catch his breath.

Once the twinges of pain faded to a dull throb, Peter stood and limped his way to the bathroom. He examined his back in the mirror and winced at the harsh welts and cuts that would soon fade and blend with the rest of his scars. The teen turned the shower on and set the temperature to lukewarm. He stepped under the stream and bit back a groan when the water stung his injuries. Peter cleaned himself as thoroughly as he could before turning off the water and climbing out. The brunette carefully dried his body and pulled on a clean pair of sweats. He quietly made his way downstairs, but he turned into the living room instead of the kitchen. He looked at the spot that had been stained by his blood just yesterday.

“I got it out.”

Peter nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Dave’s voice. He whirled around and instantly regretted it when he suddenly felt dizzy. The boy flinched and whimpered in fear when his foster father reached out to steady him. “I-I’m-”

“Hush, you’re not in trouble.” The man cut off his apology. He released the teen’s arm and took a step back. “I called the school; you have today and tomorrow off. You still need to do your chores, but you have until I get home to finish them. Do you think you can handle that without screwing anything up?”

Dave left for work at 7:30 and returned at 6:00. That gave Peter ten and a half hours to complete his chores. He was worried though; he didn’t clean the bathrooms yesterday, and it was going to be difficult in his condition. “Yes, s-sir,”

“Good. I want you to have two eggs, two pieces of buttered toast, and a piece of ham for breakfast. For lunch, I want you to have a can of chicken noodle soup.”

“Yes, sir,”

Dave nodded, grabbed his things, and walked out the door. Peter released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He clenched his shaking hands into fists and tried to slow his wildly beating heart. After a few deep breaths, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast. The teen ate quickly and proceeded to do his chores.

He was much slower than usual; he managed to clean the kitchen, wash the laundry, and vacuum the upstairs by lunch. Peter still needed to clean both bathrooms and put away the laundry, and he was worried that he wouldn’t be done in time. He drank the soup cold and straight from the can to try and save time. It was kind of gross, but he would take that over another punishment any day. The brunette threw the can away and started on the laundry; Monday was towels and sheets, so it didn’t take as long as doing the clothes. Peter wasn’t allowed in Dave’s room, so he had to fold his sheets and leave them in a basket next to the door. He went upstairs and made his bed before moving to his foster father's bathroom. The teen kept his clean throughout the week so that it would take less time.

By the time he was finished with the first bathroom, it was 4:52. It was 5:38 when he finished his own. Peter put the cleaning supplies away and took a quick, painful shower. It was 5:45 when he was dressed, and he quickly found his hidden camera. He took a picture of his back in the mirror and hid the camera in the vent again.

The teen had started documenting some of his injuries after the first month of living with Dave. One night, the man had gotten drunk; it was the one, and only time Peter had ever seen him drink. He had had a nightmare, and his foster father had been so furious that he had nearly beaten the boy to death. Once he had healed enough to return home, he bought a disposable camera. He had decided that if one day, Dave did manage to kill him, the evidence would keep the man from getting away with it. At least then, no other child would have to suffer the cruelty that he had been shown.

He shook himself out of the memory and walked down the stairs just as Dave opened the door. He looked at his foster son and crossed his arms. The boy looked away when they made eye contact.

“Did you get everything done?” He asked, curtly.

“Y-yes, sir,” The teen said meekly.

“The bathrooms too?” He said in a softer tone, an almost surprised look crossing his face.

“Yes, sir,” He immediately moved aside as the man made his way upstairs to inspect the work. Dave came down and checked his bathroom before standing in front of Peter again.

“It looks good,” Dave said with a smile.

The brunette’s eyes widened at the unexpected praise. “Th...thank you, sir,” He said hesitantly before a small smile lit his face.  _ I actually did something right! _

“I brought dinner; I didn’t think either of us would feel like cooking.” The man said as he bent down and picked up a paper bag off of the floor. He led Peter to the kitchen, and the boy set the table. The teen savored the take out, and once they were both done, he put the dishes in the dishwasher.

“Your back looks like it’s healing well, how are your wrists?”

“G-good, I rebandaged them af-after my shower.”

The man nodded. “Would you like to watch a movie?” He asked softly.

Peter was too stunned to talk, so he simply nodded his head. Dave smiled and led him into the living room. His foster father picked a movie, and they settled onto the couch. Almost immediately, Dave pulled Peter’s head into his lap. The teen relaxed into the rare comfort and let his eyes drift shut.

\-----

Tony let out an exhausted sigh as he boarded the jet. The team had been in Finland for almost two weeks. They had found the base after a couple of days, and had rounded up all of the surviving Hydra agents and turned them over to S.H.I.E.L.D. The agents had been interrogated and a second base had been discovered. They had managed to round everyone up and shut down both bases, and they were finally cleared to go home.

Throughout the whole operation, Tony had hardly had any time to himself, but now that they had eight hours on the flight all he could think about was Peter Parker.  _ Was he okay? Am I being paranoid about his foster father? _

“You okay, Tony?” Bruce asked.

The man in question looked up quizzically. “Honestly, I don’t know,” He stated simply.

“Is there anything that I can do?”

“Maybe. Do you know anything about foster care?”

The scientist looked dumbstruck. “Umm...no not-not really. Why do you ask?”

By now, everyone was listening in on the conversation with puzzled looks on their faces.

“I-I well...it-it’s nothing. Nevermind.” the mechanic stuttered.

“Let us help you, Tony. We’re a team; you can tell us anything.” Steve encouraged.

The billionaire looked around skeptically.  _ It couldn’t hurt to have a second opinion.  _ So he told them everything that he had learned about Peter.

“That poor kid,” Clint said. He couldn’t imagine any of his children going through anything like Peter Parker.

“And you think his foster father is abusing him?” Steve inquired.

“I think that if he had been living with someone that cared about him for the past nine months, he wouldn’t still be terrified of people hurting him,” Tony answered curtly.

Steve put his hands up in surrender. “I understand where you’re coming from, but maybe you just scared him. A random stranger thrust a hand in his face; he didn’t know what your intentions were.”

Tony huffed in frustration before taking a deep breath. “All I’m saying is, he looked like he wasn’t being taken care of; He was skinny, his clothes were almost threadbare, and I could see a bruise on his shoulder.” He countered.

“It’s worth looking into,” Natasha spoke up for the first time. In her eyes, violence against children was unforgivable.

“Okay, I’ll help you, but if it turns out that he’s fine then you drop this whole thing,” Steve said.

“And if it turns out that he isn’t?” Tony questioned.

“Then we do everything we can for him.” The blond replied.

The billionaire nodded his thanks.

\-----

On Tuesday morning, Dave looked over Peter’s wounds. “They look good; there’s no infection. They’re healing slowly, but I think you should be fine to go to school tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir,”

“You can have the same meals as yesterday. I’ll see you when I get back from work.”

“Yes, sir,” Peter answered obediently.

The man nodded and walked out the door.

Peter went about his duties and finished all of his chores by 11:30. He took a shower and ate lunch before heading upstairs for a much-needed nap. The teen fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

\-----

The brunette woke at 3:00 and read the book for this month’s English assignment. At 4:30, he started dinner; he made spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread. He was setting the table just as his foster father walked in the door.

“It smells amazing in here.” The man commented.

A small smile spread across Peter’s face at the praise. “Thank you, sir,”

Dave put his things away and sat down for dinner. They ate in silence, and once they finished, the teen did the dishes.

“I want to treat your back and wrists.”

The boy nodded and stood to go upstairs.

“Stay there; I’ll get the stuff.” When the man came back, he had Peter turn the chair around backward and sit with his arms over the back. He treated the lashes and then moved to his wrists. Once they were finished, Dave put the supplies away. “You should shower and sleep; you go back to school tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir,” Peter said as he stood. He went upstairs and did as he was told.

\-----

The jet landed early Wednesday morning, and the team went to their rooms to shower and sleep. They had all agreed that they would figure out what to do about Peter Parker as soon as they got some rest. Everyone met up at noon for some lunch.

“He goes to Midtown, so he’s smart. What if you offer him an internship? It would be a good way to get close to him.” Natasha suggested after everyone else had given terrible ideas.

“That’s...that’s actually a great idea,” Bruce commented.

“I’ll call the school and set up a meeting with Peter and his foster father,” Tony added.

The billionaire left to make the call and came back ten minutes later. “They said they would contact Davis and get back to me about a good time for a meeting.

\-----

On Wednesday morning, Peter got up earlier than usual. He wanted to have enough time to complete his chores before he had to go to school.  _ The last thing I need is to screw up after just a few days.  _ He finished in time to make his train, but he had to skip his usual morning shower; he was glad that Dave had had him shower last night. The teen made it to school without incident. Despite the belting on Friday, he felt healthier than he had in a while.  _ It’s incredible what adequate food and sleep can do. _

He had just shut his locker door when someone shoved him back into it. Peter struggled to contain his cry of pain when his back made contact with a lock.

“Watch where you’re going, Penis!” Flash yelled as he ran past.

The brunette gasped in pain as he stumbled away from the lockers. Someone came up beside him, and he flinched slightly when he felt a hand wrap around his arm.

“You okay, Peter?”

The teen looked into the concerned eyes of MJ. “Y-yeah, I’m good.” He assured her.

“Are you sure? That looked pretty painful; I could take you to the nurse if you want.”

“N-no, that’s okay, I’m fine.” He insisted as he plastered a smile across his face.

“Okay, well, let’s get to class then.” She responded softly. MJ tugged on her friend's hand and gently led him to their first-period class.

\-----

After Peter had made it home from school, he started on his homework. His English assignment was due next week, and Mrs. Forrest had given out math problems to be completed at home and discussed in class the next day. At 4:30 the teen put a frozen pot pie in the oven, it was only supposed to take an hour to cook, but Peter wanted to make sure it was ready as soon as Dave got home. He worked on his homework while the pie baked. He finished just after 5:30, and he went to check the food. It wasn’t quite done, so he put it back in for ten minutes. He collected his homework and set the table. When the timer went off, the brunette placed the food on the table. He checked the time and realized that Dave would be home in a few minutes, so he stood in front of the door and waited for his foster father to come home. At 6:02, the door opened, and Dave walked in. He set his things down and went straight to the table without so much as a glance at Peter. The boy was trembling as he sat across from the man.  _ He must have had a bad day at work.  _ The teen tried not to draw any attention as he waited for his foster father to dish up first. Once Dave started eating, Peter put a slice on his plate and ate as quietly as he could. After a few minutes, the phone rang.

“Why is your school calling me, Peter?” Dave said, darkly.

“I-I don’t know. I…” The brunette felt his eyes sting with the threat of tears.  _ What did I do now? _

“Hello, this is Dave.” The man answered pleasantly.

The teen tried to listen to the other side of the conversation, but he couldn’t hear past the blood rushing in his ears.

“Really? That’s incredible. We are both honored by this opportunity.” He said earnestly.

Peter looked up at his foster father’s words. He didn’t look mad. Did he look- surprised?

“Friday at 3:30. Yes, of course, we’ll be there. Thank you very much.” He hung up and stared at the table in shock.

“S-sir?” The boy asked meekly.

Dave looked up, and the teen shrunk back a little at the attention. “You’ve been offered an internship at Stark Industries. Mr. Stark and the principal wish to meet with us to discuss the details.”

Peter looked on in stunned silence. He didn’t know what to say.  _ Stark Industries offered ME an internship?  _ “That’s...amazing.” He whispered.

“Yes. It truly is.” The man commented.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love comments!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has a nightmare, Dave is a psycho, and Flash is a jerk.

_ Peter had been sitting at his desk when he heard a crash down the hall. He stood and ran to investigate without a second thought. He slid to a stop in the kitchen to see six-year-old Sammy crying over the broken glass on the floor. The teen knelt in front of the trembling child as he examined his body for cuts. “Hey, Sammy, it’s okay, it was an accident.” _

_ “Mr. G-Greer is going to be really m-mad.” The little boy whispered. _

_ “That’s okay because I broke the glass.” Sammy looked up and cocked his head to the side in confusion. _

_ “If Mr. Greer asks you who broke the glass you’re going to tell him it was me, okay?” Peter insisted. _

_ The boy looked away in shame. “But it was my fault.” _

_ “I’m your honorary big brother, so it’s my job to protect you.” The teen said as he pulled Sammy into a hug. “Now, go upstairs and do your homework. I’ll clean this up.” _

_ The boy nodded and made his way around the glass and upstairs. Peter started to clean up the broken shards, but after just a few seconds, he heard footsteps. “Crap,” He whispered. He felt his eyes sting as tears formed, but he blinked them away when he remembered Sammy’s terrified face. _

_ Mr. Greer stopped in the doorway and looked down at the mess on the floor. He watched the brunette clean up the glass. Once the last pieces had been dumped in the garbage, he walked over to the teen and backhanded him harshly. A gasp of surprise escaped Peter’s lips as his head snapped to the side, but other than that, he showed no emotion as he looked at the floor. “I’m sorry, sir,” He said quietly. He saw the second hit coming and tried to tense as a fist collided with his stomach. The air was knocked from his lungs, and the teen fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around his aching torso and gasped for breath. _

_ “Why must you always be so clumsy, Peter?” _

_ “I-I’m sorry, sir,” He panted. _

_ “Perhaps having you scrub the kitchen top to bottom will teach you to be more careful. Dinner is in an hour, but I suspect that you won’t be done in time. Once dinner is over, you can also wash the dishes.” _

_ The teen closed his eyes in defeat. It was better than a beating or spending the night in the closet. “Yes, sir,” _

_ The man nodded. “I suggest that you get started.” He said before walking out. _

_ Peter stood and rubbed the forming bruise on his cheek. He looked around at the kitchen, and his shoulders slumped. The kitchen wasn’t dirty, but the teen knew that wiping down the counters and sweeping the floor wasn’t what Mr.Greer had in mind. No, he expected every surface, including the walls, to be scrubbed, for the rugs to be beaten, and the floor waxed. Not only that, but he would also have to do all of the dishes after dinner. Peter closed his eyes, and remembered Sammy’s face, remembered why he always tried to take the blame. There were 12 kids in the group home, and he was the oldest. In his mind, that meant he needed to protect them from the cruelty of the adults that ran the home. The brunette sighed and got to work. _

_ Two hours later, when everyone had eaten dinner, Peter gathered the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Once a month, the kids were allowed to have pizza, it was a treat because the rest of the time they whatever was cheapest; Mr. Greer ran the home, and he never wanted to spend more money than he had to. _

_ The teen worked into the early hours of the morning before he was finished. He stumbled to his room; he wanted nothing more than to collapse onto his bed and sleep, but he still had homework. He had to keep his grades up, or he wouldn’t be allowed to attend Midtown. He couldn’t lose the only place he felt safe. He couldn’t lose the only thing left of his old life. _

_ When he opened the door, he saw a napkin with a single slice of long cold pizza. Peter smiled and scarfed it down in seconds. He reminded himself to thank Sammy in the morning and sat down to finish his homework. _

_ The teen woke with a jolt when someone shook his shoulder. He was so startled that he couldn’t stop his arms from flailing. He froze when his left had collided with something solid. Peter looked up into the rage-filled eyes of Mr. Greer before his eyes landed on the red mark on his cheek. A split second later, he felt the man’s fingers in his hair. The teen yelped, and his hands latched onto the arm in an attempt to ease the burn in his scalp. He was yanked from his chair and thrown to the floor. He looked up to see Sammy standing in the doorway with a determined look on his face. The boy caught Peter’s eye, and the teen gave a barely noticeable shake of his head. He tried to convey a don’t-try-to-stop-him look with his eyes before he heard the unmistakable sound of the belt being pulled from Mr. Greer’s pants. A few seconds later, he felt the fiery bite of the leather against his back. He lost count of the blows after the 12th hit when he could no longer hold in the cries of pain. He curled into a ball in an attempt to make himself a smaller target. He heard someone begging for it to st- _

Peter woke with a gasp as the air was knocked from his lungs; he was on the floor of his room in Dave’s house. It had been a nightmare, an old memory back to haunt him. He looked up and saw the anger and disgust written across his foster father’s face. He began to tremble in fear when the man yanked him off the floor by his arm and started to drag him out of the room. “I’m sorry! P-please, don’t lock me in there! Please, I’m s-sorry! I’m sorry, please!”

“Shut up! You can’t even go a couple of days without crying like a baby! You’re so pathetic! When are you going to grow up?!” Dave yelled as he threw the teen to the floor. He pinned him down and duct-taped Peter’s wrists behind his back. The brunette sobbed into the carpet until a piece of tape was placed over his mouth. He tried to plead through the obstruction but stopped when he received a harsh kick to the stomach. He was thrown into the closet, and he tried to stop the panic attack as the door was shut. The darkness consumed him as he tried to slow the gasping breaths that didn’t provide enough oxygen. After a couple of minutes of trying to fight for control, Peter gave up and let unconsciousness overtake him.

\-----

Peter jolted awake when the ice water hit his skin. He gasped, sat up, and tried to blink the spots from his vision from the head rush.

“Get ready for school,” Dave said curtly as he turned and walked into the kitchen.

The teen realized that he had been freed from his bonds as he stood on shaky legs.  _ I must have been pretty out of it to sleep through that.  _ He made his way upstairs to shower and change.

He came down the stairs ten minutes later. The brunette sat across from his foster father and quietly ate the eggs that the man had prepared.

“You don’t have time to do your chores before school, so you’ll have to do them later.”

“Yes, sir,”

“Tomorrow we’re meeting with the principal and Mr. Stark to talk about your internship. I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

“Yes, sir,”

“Good. I’ll see you when I get home. You had better have your chores done by then.”

“I will, sir,” Peter assured him.

Dave nodded and stood to leave. He walked past the teen and out the door. As soon as the door shut, Peter let out a sigh of relief. He finished eating before putting the dishes away; he grabbed his backpack and walked out the door.

\-----

Peter managed to make it through school without incident. Until he was leaving to catch his train, and Flash decides that it was a great time to corner him.

“Hey, Penis, where are you off to?” The bully said with a smirk.

“I don’t have time for this today, Flash.” The brunette said shortly.

Anger replaced the smirk and the next thing Peter knew, he was being shoved into his locker.

“I hope you didn’t need to be anywhere important, Penis,” Flash said mockingly as he slammed the door.

The teen was momentarily shocked.  _ No. No, no, no, I can’t be late! He’s going to kill me!  _ “Flash, wait! Let me out! Please, I can’t be late! Please let me out!” He shouted as he pounded on the door.

“Let me think about it… No, I think I’ll leave you there for a while. See you after Decathlon practice!”

“No! Please, Flash, please! Let me out! Flash!” The brunette yelled as the bully’s footsteps retreated. When he realized that the hall was silent, he broke down into sobs of fear.  _ Please, someone, let me out. Someone help me.  _ After a few minutes of being trapped, Peter started hyperventilating. Being locked in a closet so many times had caused the teen to become claustrophobic. The locker was so small that he had to stand at an angle to fit. He couldn’t turn around or sit down and was terrifying.  _ What if he doesn’t come back? What if I’m locked in here till morning? I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t bre-  _ He was on the verge of passing out when the door opened, and he fell to the floor. Peter gasped for breath as he tried to control his sobs.

“Geeze, Penis, it was just a joke!” Flash said before taking a closer look at the teen on the floor. “Hey, are...are you okay?” He asked, hesitantly.

The brunette ignored the bully and stood on shaky legs. He was light-headed, and his knees buckled. Flash shot forward to catch him, but Peter flinched away. “N-no,” He whimpered as he fell back to the floor.

“Hey, Pen-Peter, I-I… I’m not going to hurt you. I’m-I’m sorry.” He said quietly.

The brunette pulled his knees to his chest and cried into his hands.  _ There’s no way I’ll be able to get back in time. _

“I know you take the train after school, maybe if I give you a ride you won’t be late.”

Peter looked up as he tried to determine whether or not Flash was trying to trick him. “Why?” He whispered.

“Obviously it’s important, whatever it is. So, yeah, I guess I’m just… I’m sorry. About everything. I shouldn’t treat you the way I do.”

Peter wiped his eyes and took several deep breaths before he stood, leaning against the lockers for support. “O-Okay, a ride would be great.” He said.

Flash nodded and slowly reached out to help the other teen. The brunette suppressed a flinch and accepted the help. They exited the school and walked to Flash’s car. The brunette entered his address into the GPS, and the (Former?) bully pulled out of the parking lot. The drive only took twenty minutes, and Peter was relieved to realize that he was only ten minutes later than usual.

“Thank you, Flash,” The teen said as he removed his seatbelt and opened the door.

“Hey, Peter?”

The brunette turned back.

“I uh… You’re welcome.” He said awkwardly.

Peter nodded and shut the door. He ran into the house and immediately set to work.

\-----

Peter was still weak and tired from everything that had happened in the last two weeks, and the panic attack earlier didn’t help. He had managed to complete his chores and finish dinner seconds before Dave walked in the door. The teen flinched when the door was slammed and subconsciously hunched his shoulders.

“Is dinner ready?” The man snapped.

“Yes, sir,”

“And your chores?”

“Done, sir,”

Dave looked at the brunette skeptically for a moment before making his way to the kitchen. He sat down and filled his plate before digging in. Peter followed suit, glancing at his foster father every few seconds. They ate in silence until Dave finished; the man stood and went down the hall to his office. The brunette jumped again at the loud bang of a slamming door. He cleaned up the kitchen and put away the leftovers.

The teen went upstairs to work on his homework. In recent weeks, Peter had started to fall behind in his classes. The last year was finally catching up to him, and it was getting harder to keep his promise to May. Just in the previous two weeks, his GPA had dropped from a 3.9 to a 3.6. He had been having a hard time staying awake in class recently, but since Dave had revoked the food restriction, he was slowly gaining energy again. The teen finished his homework by 9:30 and was getting ready for bed when his foster father walked in.

“Tomorrow we meet with Tony Stark and your principal. I expect you to behave during the meeting. Don’t speak unless you are spoken to; I’ll negotiate on your behalf. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir, I understand.”

“Good,” The man reached his hand out, and Peter flinched, turning his head and closing his eyes. He just barely resisted the urge to bring his hands up to protect his face. He sucked in a breath when he felt a gentle hand on his cheek. The teen opened his eyes and looked up at Dave. For a moment, he could see something other than anger and disappointment in the man's face. “I’m proud of you, Peter. This is an amazing opportunity. Perhaps you’re not as hopeless as I thought.” He said softly.

  
“Th-thank you, sir,” The boy said timidly. The hand fell from his face, and he watched as his foster father turned and left. The brunette let out a shuddery breath and slumped onto his bed. He rubbed his hands down his face as he felt tears of frustration fall.  _ I can’t do this anymore, never knowing his mood or whether or not he’s going to hurt me. Please, aunt May, please help me. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be up on Wednesday! Comments make my day!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony, Dave, Peter, and Mr. Morita meet to discuss the internship. Peter's first day as Tony's lab assistant goes well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, prepare yourselves. Here comes Irondad!
> 
> There is a POV change in the beginning. When I wrote this chapter, I was initially going to write it in Peter's POV, but partway through I realized that I had switched to Tony's POV. So there is a line break indicating the switch.
> 
> Also, I know very little about technology. I can use a computer for its intended purpose, but beyond that, I am clueless.

Peter couldn't remember the last time he had been this nervous. He was sitting outside the principal's office, waiting for his foster father to arrive. He was wondering, once again, why he had been chosen to be a Stark Industries intern. _Aren't there smarter, more qualified people out there? Like college students? People that have actually studied for their career instead of some random high school student?_ The teen was startled out of his thoughts when someone said his name. He looked up into the eyes of Tony Stark.

"Hey, kid. Are you Peter Parker?"

The brunette was so dumbstruck, all he could manage was a small nod.

"Great! Where is your guardian?"

Peter swallowed and looked down before remembering that Dave said it was rude to talk to the floor. He was feeling too vulnerable, so he stood and looked back into the man's eyes. "My foster father should be here shortly, sir,"

"Oh, uh, okay. You can just call me Tony." The billionaire said. The teen opened his mouth to respond, but he quickly shut it when he saw who was approaching. _I don't know if I can do this. _

\-----

Tony turned and was met with a man in his early thirties, with short blond hair and green eyes.

"Hello, my name is Dave Simpson. I'm Peter's foster father." He said politely. Tony plastered on a fake smile and shook the offered hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for meeting with me; I'm excited to offer this opportunity to someone as bright as Peter."

Everyone looked over when the principal's door opened. "Well, I'm glad to see that everyone is here. If you just step into my office, we can get started." They all walked in and sat down in the three provided chairs; Peter on the left, Dave in the middle, and Tony on the right. "Alright, we're here to discuss the internship that was offered to Peter. Mr. Stark?"

"Right, well, it's pretty simple. I've been looking for a lab assistant. I came across some of Peter's science projects and decided to look into his academic history. He's young, but he shows promise in the science field."

"What exactly would his responsibilities be?" Dave asked.

"Peter would assist me with some of my projects. Nothing dangerous of course, I would start him on some minor stuff, Stark Tech, and possibly some simple upgrades in my A.I."

Everyone nodded thoughtfully, and Tony took the chance to examine the teen to his left. He looked exhausted and pale; he was skinny, but not as hollowed out as a couple of weeks ago. He was fidgeting, and the billionaire could see bruises peeking out of his shirt sleeves. _God, kid. What did he do to you? _Inside he was seething, but on the outside, he looked calm and collected. He didn't want to ruin his chance at getting the kid alone. He knew that there wasn't much he could do now, so he plastered on a smile and played along. For now.

"How often would you expect his assistance?" Mr. Morita asked.

"Once a week to start, maybe we could move up to twice a week, but I'd like to make sure that he's a good fit first. Thursday is my free day, so I could send a driver to pick him up from school and drop him home by 9:00."

"Thursdays should work, but I'd like him home by 8:00; it is a school night, and he has other responsibilities." Dave countered.

_I could punch you in your smug face, would that work? _"Okay, home by 8:00," Tony said in agreement.

"We'll have to come up with a way for this to count toward his schooling. Perhaps we could count it as an extracurricular science credit. I'm sure this will look good on his college applications as well."

"Great! Well, I can send my driver to pick him up after school tomorrow."

"I'm glad we've got it all settled. Thank you all for coming." Everyone stood and made their way to the door. "Congratulations Peter, this is a wonderful opportunity."

"Thank you, sir," He said before turning to Tony. "I'm very grateful, sir. I hope to make everyone proud." He stated before shaking the mechanic's hand.

"I'm sure you will, kid," Tony smiled and turned to Dave, shaking his hand as well.

"Thank you again, Mr. Stark," The man said as he turned to Peter and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. The mechanic noticed the teen tense at the contact and glared at the back of the blond's head.

"Alright, Peter, let's head home."

The billionaire watched the foster father guide the brunette down the hall toward the door. _I'm going to help you, kid. Just hold on a little longer._

\-----

The next afternoon, Peter sat anxiously waiting for the car that would take him to Stark Industries. He had been nervous all day, and it had made it hard to concentrate on anything else; even Ned had asked if he was okay. The brunette had wanted to tell his best friend about the internship, but he figured that Tony Stark would realize how worthless he was and revoke the offer after today.

The teen looked up when a limo pulled to a stop. The man that got out of the car was taller than Peter and a little on the heavy side. He had dark brown curly hair and brown eyes.

"Are you Peter Parker?"

The teen nodded quickly before standing. "Yes, sir, I'm Peter,"

The man barked a laugh, and the teen flinched slightly. "Boss said you had manners. Just call me Happy, kid." He responded as he shook his head in disbelief. The older man came around and opened the door. When the brunette didn't move for a few seconds, the driver sighed. "Are you gonna stand there all day or are we going to get a move on?"

"Oh! Right, I'm sorry si-Ha-Happy!" He exclaimed as he scrambled into the car. The man shook his head again before closing the door.

Peter looked around the luxurious limo. The seats were soft black leather; there was a set against the back and a set against one side of the car. On the other side, there was a snack and drink bar that was fully stocked. He looked up when Happy slid into the driver's seat. There was a window that divided the back and front. The man tuned before saying, "Buckle up," The teen nodded and found a seat before buckling in. As soon as the buckle clicked, Happy turned around and pulled away from the curb.

The drive was quiet; Dave's rule of 'only speak when spoken to' had been ingrained into the brunette's brain. He sat with his hands in his lap as he looked out the window. He tried to hold still, but his anxiousness got the better of him, and he couldn't stop his hands from twitching.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the tower. Happy pulled into the back before parking the car near an elevator. Peter climbed out and stood awkwardly next to the limo for a few seconds before the window rolled down. "Just tell J.A.R.V.I.S. to take you to Tony." The man said before driving away to park the car.

The brunette walked over to the elevator; the doors opened automatically, and he stepped in.

"Hello, Mr. Parker,"

The teen yelped in surprise and looked around the empty elevator for where the voice was coming from. "J-J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"Yes, Mr. Parker?" The A.I. responded.

"Wh...where are you?"

"I am an A.I. that Mr. Stark created. I am in every system throughout the building."

"Oh…could you take me to Mr. Stark, please?"

"Of course, Mr. Parker."

"Could-could you just call me Peter, please?"

"Of course Peter,"

The doors opened, and Peter stepped out into a hallway. Tony Stark turned the corner with a smile and approached the teen. "Hey, kid. Ready to get to work?"

"Yes, sir,"

"Just call me Tony kid. Sir makes me feel old. Let's go to the lab. I have a project that you can assist me with."

The teen nodded and followed the mechanic down the hall and through a door. He froze a couple of steps in and looked around in awe. There were several work tables with multiple projects strewn across them. There were at least two robots that he could see, and several Iron Man suits lined an entire wall. There was an old couch against another wall and a small kitchenette in the corner. Peter looked over when Tony chuckled. "I know, I know. It's a mess. Pepper hates it, but I thrive on chaos."

"It's amazing! This is just… Wow."

The billionaire smiled at the teen's enthusiasm. "Yeah, it's okay, I guess." He responded with a shrug.

"Okay?! Are you crazy?! This is incredible-" Peter cut himself off as soon as he realized what he said. His eyes widened, and he gasped before he looked into Tony's eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you-"

"Hey, You're not the first one to say it, and you won't be the last. Pepper calls me insane all the time, and she's never wrong." He said with a smirk.

A small smile pulled at the teen's lips at the hero's attempt at humor.

"Right, well, as I said, I have a project that I've been working on, and I could use your help."

"Okay, si-Mr. Stark," Tony lead the brunette over to a work-table. Several Stark Watch prototypes were gutted and spread out across the bench. The billionaire explained the problem that he was having and left the teen to try to figure it out.

After a couple of hours, Peter was reasonably certain that he had figured out what was wrong; he looked around for the mechanic, but the room was empty. He hesitated for a moment before putting the watch on. After waiting for it to boot up, the teen ran through the features to make sure that he had fixed it.

"Hey, kid, are you hungry?" Tony asks as he walks through the door.

Peter startled and looked up, face pale with shock. They both looked down at the watch on the teen's wrist before the brunette's eyes snapped back to the hero's face. "I-I'm sorry, I was just-"

"It's fine, kid; it's all part of the process. Did you figure it out?"

"Ye-yeah, I think so."

"That's great. Can you show me how you did it?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." The billionaire walked over, and Peter walked him through what he had done to fix the glitch.

"You're a genius, Pete."

The brunette blushed at the compliment before taking the watch off and handing it to Tony. "You can keep it."

"I-I… I can't-"

"Sure you can, you fixed it, so it's yours." The teen still looked skeptical, so the hero added, "At least take it for the week to make sure there aren't any kinks that we missed."

Peter looked at the man in shock for a few seconds before blinking several times. "Okay...okay, thank you, Mr. Stark,"

"Sure, kid," The mechanic said before reaching out and squeezing the teen's shoulder. He didn't miss the slight flinch or how tense the kid had become at the simple touch. "How about we get something to eat and then Happy will take you home."

"That sounds great, thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter said with a small smile. He followed his mentor to the elevator. They traveled up several floors before the doors opened.

"This is my floor. If you ever come over and I'm not in the lab, I'm probably up here." He explained while he led the brunette to the kitchen. There were two boxes of pizza on the counter, and as soon as the smell hit him, Peter's stomach growled. "Someone's hungry, I hope you like pizza."

He blushed in embarrassment before answering the question, "Yeah, I do. Thank you, Mr. Stark,"

"It's no problem, kid."

They sat down, and Tony put several slices on a plate before pushing it in front of the brunette. The teen's eyes widened for a second before he picked up a piece, only hesitating until the billionaire took a bite before digging in. Peter sat quietly as he listened to the mechanic babble about Stark tech, Iron Man suits, and cars.

After most of the food is gone, Tony looks at his watch. "Well, you had better get going. The elevator will take you to the garage. Happy will be waiting to take you home. You did great, kid. I'll see you next week."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," The brunette responded before walking to the elevator. He gave a small wave, and Tony smiled before waving back. The doors closed, and the teen had to stop himself before he could jump for joy. _That was amazing!_

\-----

The entire drive home, Peter admired the Stark Watch. He had never owned anything like it. Even before Ben had died, money had been tight; it was even worse after he had passed. Then the car accident happened, and the teen was thrown into the foster system. After that, he was lucky to have decent shoes.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at Dave's house, and the happiness that had pushed back the ever-present dread started out of his thoughts. The teen quickly removed the watch and hid it in his bag. Happy came around the limo and opened the door. The brunette stepped out and thanked him before walking up the front stairs and into the house. He shut the door quietly and slowly walked into the living room. The teen was happy to see that it was 7:54 when he glanced at the clock.

His foster father sat on the couch, watching T.V., and he looked at the clock before his eyes fell on the brunette. "Hello, Peter. How was the internship?"

"It went well, sir. Mr. Stark wants me to come back next week."

Dave smiled and stood. "That's wonderful, Peter. Do you have any homework?"

"Yes, sir, a little."

"Go get started on it."

"Yes, sir," The brunette responded automatically before heading to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on posting chapter eight on Saturday, however, I am traveling this weekend, and I'm not entirely sure if we will have service. I have the chapter edited and ready to post, so all I have to do is push a button. If it isn't up on Saturday, I will post chapters eight and nine on Sunday when I get home!
> 
> Feel free to leave me a comment!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter suffers from a panic attack, and Dave finds the Stark Watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, this chapter contains pretty graphic child abuse, so be prepared.
> 
> Also, I don't know much about foster care so I just kind of skipped over the details...

As soon as the elevator door closed on Peter, Tony took a deep breath before putting his head in his hands. "J.A.R.V.I.S., call a team meeting."

"Of course, sir," The A.I. responded.

The billionaire waited a few minutes before heading to the elevator. When he walked out onto the communal floor, he noticed that everyone except Clint was present. "Where's Bird Brain?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the archer dropped from the ceiling. "Great, looks like everyone is here."

"What's this about, Tony?" Steve asked.

"The kid just left."

"What kid?" Pepper asked, confusion written across her face.

The mechanic sighed and remembered that she had no idea what he was talking about. "I hired an intern."

"Okay, that's great, Tony, but that doesn't explain why we're all here." She responded.

"A few weeks ago, I ran into a kid, well he ran into me, but that's beside the point. His name is Peter Parker. He was pretty freaked out, so I decided to do some digging. Turns out he's had a pretty rough go in life."

"Okay, so you wanted to help him out. That's great, but I'm still confused."

"He's in foster care, and I think he's being abused."

"You still think so?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure actually."

"Are you sure you're not just paranoid?" Steve asked. "I mean, are you sure you're not making something out of nothing?" Steve asked.

Tony turned to the super-soldier with betrayal in his eyes. "Let's not forget about how I was raised, Captain. I'm pretty sure I know abuse when I see it."

Steve looked away as he was flooded with guilt. "I'm sorry that came out wrong. All I'm saying is that child abuse is a serious accusation."

"What if you interfering only makes it worse?" Natasha asked.

"He needs help; if that man is hurting him, he needs to be taken away and put somewhere safe."

"What if the next place is worse?" The redhead countered.

"I'll foster him," Tony said confidently. He narrowed his eyes when the spy smirked.

"Tony...are you sure you're up for that?" Pepper asked gently.

"I just… He's a smart kid, and I mean genius-level smart, and he's polite and sweet and considerate. I just want to help him. His life has been one tragedy after another. He has no one left in the world to care about him."

Everyone was quiet for a minute before Steve spoke up. "Okay, Tony, I'll help you, but you have to promise me that you're in this for the long run."

"I promise,"

Everyone nodded in agreement before dispersing. Pepper, Steve, and Tony stayed behind to discuss the finer details.

"I'll get the paperwork together; we need to do this the right way." Pepper offered.

"Okay, just tell me what I need to do." The billionaire responded.

\-----

The next few days were pretty quiet; Dave had been less stressed at work and Peter had been trying extra hard to be perfect in every aspect, terrified that if he messed up, Dave would decide to take the internship from him. It was starting to take its toll on the brunette. The constant fear of doing something wrong had him second-guessing himself at every turn. It was getting so bad that he had started double, and sometimes triple checking his work. His anxiety was at an all-time high, and it was running the teen down mentally and emotionally. He was having a hard time sleeping at night; his brain working in overdrive, going over everything that he had done all day, wondering if he had done something wrong.

On Tuesday night, Peter had a panic attack in the shower. All of a sudden, his chest felt tight, and it was hard to breathe. The next thing he knew, Dave was pulling him out of the freezing water and throwing him to the floor. The man was yelling, but he was too out of it to understand what was being said. Until the kick to his stomach, everything became clearer after that.

"Are you even listening to me? You waste of space! Oh, and now with the crying? What are you, five? Shut up!" The man screamed before kicking the boy in the stomach again.

The teen was curled up on the floor, naked and shivering, trembling in fear and pain. "I'm sorry, sir, I-I'm so sorry." He whispered.

The brunette listened as his foster father stomped out only to return a few seconds later with a pair of sweats. He threw them at the teen and told him to put them on. Peter scrambled to obey, standing and pulling the sweats on as fast as he could. He didn't even have time to secure the drawstring before Dave tangled a hand in his hair and yanked him down the hall to the closet. Peter closed his eyes in defeat, knowing that if he fought back, it could lead to a trip to the basement. He didn't struggle as he was thrown to the floor, or as his hands were duct-taped behind his back. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he was shoved into the closet without being gagged, glad that he would be able to breathe through his mouth while his nose was stuffed.

After the door was slammed shut, the teen realized how cold he was. His hair was still dripping, and he could feel the droplets running down his back. The water had been freezing by the time Dave had found him, and the brunette hoped that he wouldn't get sick. After a few minutes, Peter drifted into an exhausted sleep, the panic attack making his need for rest more obvious, finally pulling him under.

\-----

Peter woke several times during the night; each time due to a coughing fit that was worse than the last. Each time he was increasingly grateful that he hadn't been gagged. He tried to muffle his coughing in hopes that he wouldn't wake Dave.

The fourth time he had woken, it was because his foster father had opened the door and delivered a kick to the teen's already bruised ribs. The blow started another coughing fit, and by the time it had stopped, Peter was light-headed. He lay on the floor, trying to catch his breath as he was released from his bonds. The brunette shivered as he sat up and rubbed his wrists.

"Get your chores done." Dave spat before turning and walking away.

He stood and leaned against the wall as black spots danced in his eyes. The teen took several deep breaths and waited for his vision to clear. After a few minutes, when he could finally see straight again, he made his way to the kitchen to do his chores.

\-----

Peter had gone through his day in an exhausted daze. He hadn't paid any attention in class, and when M.J. and Ned asked if he was okay, he brushed them off and said that he wasn't feeling well. On the way home, he had almost missed his stop. His eyes were so blurry that he had a hard time fitting the key into the door. He left his bag by the door and went straight upstairs and fell onto his bed, drifting to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

\-----

The slamming of the front door woke the teen. He moaned as the pounding in his head intensified. A few minutes later, when he was half asleep, Dave stomped up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door open. The teen jolted awake and cowered in fear when he saw the anger written across the man's face.

"What's this?" He snarled. Peter's eyes fell on the watch.

"I-I...Mr. S-Stark gave it to m-me." The brunette whispered in response.

"Why would he give something like this to you? You stole it, didn't you?!"

"No! I didn't, I swear! I-" He was cut off when Dave's hand shot out and yanked him off of the bed by his hair. "Please! I didn't steal it! Please, I swear!"

"Then why didn't you say something about it the day you brought it home?" He shouted as he started dragging the helpless teen toward the basement.

_ Because I didn't want you to take it from me. _"I d-don't know."

"Because you stole it!"

"No." Peter sobbed. As they approached the basement door, he started to thrash wildly in an attempt to get free. "Please! Please, I didn't! Please don't!" He twisted his body and tried to kick at the man's legs, scratch at his hand and arm, planted his feet against the wall, anything to escape his fate. "Please, pl-please, I'm s-sorry."

"This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and you had to just throw it away! You haven't even begun to feel sorry!" He screamed just before throwing the brunette down the stairs.

The teen gasped as he lost his balance. His heart stuttered in his chest as his stomach rose into his throat. He tumbled down the stairs and screamed in agony as something in his arm snapped. When he came to a stop at the bottom, he tried to take a deep breath, but a flair of pain in his side left him gasping in pain. The brunette looked up and scrambled back in fear when he saw his tormentor slowly descending the stairs. Peter tucked his arm to his chest and started crawling away. Tears slid down his cheeks as a sob escaped his throat. The teen only made it a few feet before a kick to his side had him collapsing to the floor. "Pl-please, ple...ase,"

"Shut up," The man growled darkly. He reached down and pulled the brunette up by his hair and started dragging him toward the post.

Peter struggled weakly against the hold. "I di-didn't... didn't st-steal it. I pro...mise." he pleaded. The teen whimpered in pain when he was dropped to the floor. He tried to curl around his injuries, but every movement hurt, and he gave up a couple of seconds later. By the time he felt the biting metal of the handcuffs, he was crying so much that he was having a hard time breathing. Dave pulled the brunette up by his wrists, tugging on the broken arm. Peter screamed before his eyes rolled back into his head, and darkness swallowed his every thought.

\-----

Peter woke with a gasp when ice-cold water hit his flesh, he jolted away from the feeling but stopped as soon as pain ignited in his arm. He realized that he was cuffed to the post, stripped down to his boxers. He whimpered in fear as Dave stepped into his line of sight.

"Are you going to admit the truth?"

"I didn't st-steal it, I-I swear." The teen whispered as tears welled in his eyes. _ He'll never believe me. _

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way." He said as he reached for the belt in his pants.

Peter closed his eyes, dread filling his every thought as he waited for the beating to begin. He screamed, unable to hold in his pain when the belt buckle tore his skin open. The blows rained down, and the brunette screamed and begged in between coughs, tears fell from his eyes and sobs bubbled in his chest. Every time the belt made contact, the teen jerked away from the pain, which, in turn, caused agony flair through his broken arm. After an undeterminable amount of time, the blows stopped, and Peter, barely conscious, gasped in relief.

"Are you ready to confess?" Dave asked as he panted for breath.

Sobs of fear tore themselves from his body as he realized that the beating wasn't over. "Ple-please, plea...se. N-no more, please."

"Then tell me the truth."

"I didn't ste-al it. I didn't, I swe-ar. Please,"

"That's the wrong answer, Peter,"

"N-no, no, please, I-I can't, I c-can't, please," The teen begged in between sobs. He watched as his foster father went over to the table and picked up the cane. The brunette's breathing sped up, and he wished that he could just pass out now and avoid the pain to come. His fast breaths brought on a harsh coughing fit and the light-headed feeling that had been creeping up hit Peter in full force. Just as he was blacking out, Dave brought the cane down on his calf. The shock of pain pulled a scream from the boy's lips, but it was cut off by more coughing and, though he tried to hold it back, vomit forced its way out, down his chest, and onto the floor.

"Now look at what you've done! That's disgusting! You'll have to clean that up later!" The tormentor cried. He huffed in disgust before he brought the cane down on Peter's other leg.

The beating continued, each hit directed at a different area before they once again focused on the brunette's legs. The pain became too much, and the teen finally fell into the bliss of pain-free unconsciousness.

\-----

Coughing woke Peter some hours later. He whimpered as pain ignited throughout his body; he felt like he was burning up and freezing at the same time. Another fit of coughs shook his body and made it nearly impossible to breathe. After a few minutes, the lack of oxygen sent the brunette into darkness once again.

Peter drifted in and out of consciousness for hours, sometimes he was woken by flairs of pain, and sometimes it was the ever-worsening cough. At one point he thought someone else was there with him but blacked out before he was sure.

The teen woke more coherent than he had been for a while. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he could feel duct tape obstructing his mouth and guessed that it was day; the chances of Dave coming down in the middle of the night to gag him were slim. He tried to shift some pressure off of his arm but only succeeded in hurting himself more.

After a few minutes, the brunette heard footsteps upstairs. He shuddered at the thought of another beating and decided that he would do anything to avoid more pain. _I'm sorry, May. I'm not strong enough; I can't do it again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I leave you with an awful cliffhanger. The good news is that the next chapter will be up tomorrow, so you don't have to suffer long!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony (and Steve) to the rescue!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter everyone has been waiting for; I hope it lives up to your expectations!
> 
> I'm not a medical expert, so I apologize for any medical inaccuracies.

"Sir, it appears that a Davis Simpson has called to inform you that Peter Parker won't be able to make it today. It seems that he is feeling under the weather."

Tony sat back, forgetting about his project as he fell into thought. "Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S.," After a few minutes, the mechanic had come to a decision. He stood and made his way to the communal floor.

The one person that he was hoping to find was sitting at the table watching the news and drinking a cup of coffee. The blond looked up when his friend walked in and smiled before he noticed the tenseness of the man's shoulders. "What's wrong, Tony?"

The man in question ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Peter's foster father called the kid in sick. I have a bad feeling."

"You're going down there, aren't you?" The super-soldier asked.

"Yes,"

"Okay, just give me a minute," Steve said as he stood and put his mug in the sink.

"You're going to come with?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Someone has to make sure you don't do anything rash. Why did you tell me if you didn't want me to come?"

The genius crossed his arms and grumbled at the comment. "I don't know. Maybe I needed someone to validate my feelings." Steve chuckled before he turned and walked to the elevator. Tony watched as the man walked away. He huffed and waited for the elevator to return before going down to the garage. He thought about leaving but waited for the Captain to return before leading the way to the Audi. They slid into their seats and buckled in before the billionaire pulled out onto the road.

The heroes arrived at Peter's house thirty minutes later. Tony knocked on the door and waited for an answer that never came.

"Maybe he took the kid to the doctor?" Steve pondered.

The mechanic pulled out his phone and brought up the location of the watch he had given the teen. "Says the watch is here."

"He could have left it behind."

Tony shook his head. "I need to know for sure." He tried the knob, and when he discovered it was locked, he turned to the blond and raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not breaking the door down." Steve deadpanned.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." He responded before grabbing a rock and throwing it through the window next to the door.

"Tony! Why did you do that?"

The man shrugged, unlocked the door, and walked into the house. Steve sighed, shook his head, and followed the billionaire through the door. They split up and checked the house, Steve went upstairs, and Tony stayed on the main floor. A few minutes later, they met in the kitchen.

"It looks like no one's here." The blond stated.

"Wait, look, there's another door."

"Seriously, Tony, this is so illegal. We should just leave before we get caught."

"No," The man snapped back before turning and opening the door. The smell hit him like a ton of bricks — vomit, urine, and blood. Bile rose in his throat, and his heart started racing. "Steve…" He whispered before he flipped the switch at the top of the stairs and made his way down. When he reached the bottom, he turned, scanned the room, and froze in shock.

Peter was hanging from a post in the middle of the room, covered in blood and bruises.

"Did you find him?"

"Steve, call 911," Tony whispered before running forward and falling to his knees next to the boy. His mouth was taped shut, and tears were running down his face. The mechanic reached out and gently removed the tape.

The teen whimpered and shied away from the touch. "Pl...ease, n-no more, pl-please. I to-ok it, I-I'm s-sorry, please."

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you, Peter,"

"Shit," The super-soldier whispered when he caught sight of the teen.

"Call 911, Steve!"

"Pl-please, sir, I-I did it...I t-took it. Please... I'm s-sor-ry."

"It's okay, I'm not going to let him hurt you ever again," Tony assured before taking in the Injuries that littered the boy's body. His face was pale and tear-streaked, and there was dried blood in his hair. His back was covered in bruises and gashes that were red, swollen, and slowly oozing blood. His thighs and calves were a mass of bruises, purple from his ankles up passed the hem of his boxers. The mechanic swallowed against the bile in his throat as his eyes traveled up to the boy's arms. His right arm was a deep purple, and the bone was poking against the skin. The mechanic looked away for a moment as he tried to compose himself. After several seconds, Tony looked up to the handcuffs, realizing that they didn't have a key. They could, however, unhook the cuffs from the chain holding Peter up. "Steve, I need your help." The blond rushed over. "Hold him up; I'm going to unhook him."

"Okay," The man responded as he tried to find the least injured part of the brunette's body. Once he had a good hold, Tony released the clip and gently lowered Peter's arms.

He cried out weakly as his injuries were jostled. "I'll be...b-be good...be g-good...promise..."

"He's burning up," Steve commented as he lowered the boy onto his left side. He placed his head in Tony's lap before saying, "The ambulance is three minutes out."

"Can you do anything about the cuffs?"

The Captain shook his head, "Not without hurting him."

Tears welled in the heroes' eyes as Peter continued to plead for mercy and promise to be good. The super-soldier stood and ran up the stairs before coming back with a glass of water. He lifted it to the boy's lips, and the brunette drank greedily before coughing violently. They sat him up a little in an attempt to clear his airway. The hacking coughs lasted a few seconds before they settled.

After a few minutes, two paramedics came down the stairs and shoved the men out of the way. "We need some space." One of them said firmly when the mechanic refused to move. He closed his eyes and nodded before carefully moving out of the way. The medics talked back and forth and quickly went about helping the battered teen. After a few minutes, they loaded him onto a stretcher and rushed him up to the waiting ambulance. Tony and Steve followed them to the hospital and sat in the waiting room, hoping that the kid would be okay.

\-----

Three and a half hours later, a doctor walked out and approached the heroes. "Mr. Stark, Mr. Rogers, You came in with the boy, correct?" The woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Steve responded.

"I'm Dr. Daily; I was assigned to his case. Do you know him personally, or is this connected to Iron Man and Captain America?"

"His name is Peter Parker; he's my intern. His foster father called him in sick, and I was concerned. I've suspected that he was being abused, so Steve and I went to check on him. I never imagined that it could be this bad." Tony replied. "How is he?"

"He’s malnourished and dehydrated and his immune system is weak, which will slow his recovery. The gashes on his back are infected, his right Ulna is broken, and his shoulder was dislocated. He has one broken, one fractured, and two bruised ribs; he's lucky that neither of his lungs was punctured. There is severe bruising along the backs of his thighs, calves, and on the soles of his feet. He's in rough shape; he's going to be here for a while." She explained sadly.

"He's not going to stay here; I want to have him moved the med bay at Avengers Tower."

"Unfortunately, you don't have the authority to do that, Mr. Stark."

"Actually, he does," Pepper said as she exited the elevator. She pulled out a file and handed it over to the doctor. "It was finalized and hour ago. Tony Stark is officially Peter Parker's guardian." She gave the billionaire a small smile before she turned back to the doctor. "I believe that everything is in order. Now, unless it would harm him further, I'd like Peter to be transferred to Avengers Tower."

Dr. Daily looked up before handing the file back over. "I'll have the transfer arranged. You can see him while you're waiting; he's in room 703. Make sure you put on a mask and wash your hands before you go in." She said with a slight smile before walking away.

"I'll go back to the tower and make sure that everything is ready."

"Thank you, Pepper. What would I do without you?"

"Let's hope we never have to find out," Steve commented.

They each grabbed a mask before Tony led the way to Peter's room. They put on their masks and used some hand sanitizer that was available outside of the room. The heroes entered quietly before taking a seat on either side of his bed.

The blood had been wiped away, but the teen still looked awful. His face was pale and, surprisingly, bruise-free. His arm had been put in a cast and then in a sling for his dislocated shoulder. The visible skin of his arms was purple and blue with fresh bruises, but there were also some older greens and yellows mixed in. The mechanic felt sick at the sight. _ How could someone do this? _

Both men looked up when they heard a knock. A man and a woman dressed in suits walked in. "Hello Mr. Stark, Mr. Rogers. I'm detective Eddie, and this is my partner detective Jameson. We were called in on a child abuse accusation. You that found Mr. Parker, correct?"

"Yes, we found him, detective." The blond answered.

"We'd like to get a statement if we could." Detective Jameson asked.

"Of course-" Steve started before he was cut off.

"Sure, you want to know about how we found him bound, gagged, and chained to a post in the basement? How he was nearly beaten to death by the one person that was supposed to protect him? How it's been going on for almost a year now? Or how about, after three months of being in an abusive group home, he was then placed with an abusive foster father for ten months? How I knew the first time I saw him, but every other adult in his life missed it?" The billionaire spat venomously.

"It's not their fault, Tony," Steve said softly.

The mechanic sighed and rubbed his face as the anger dissipated. He looked up into the slightly frightened faces of the detectives and forced himself to take a few deep breaths before continuing. "You're right, I'm sorry. Now is probably not the best time. I can have all the evidence that I've gathered sent over. It will be a while before anyone is up to making a statement, though."

"Of course, Mr. Stark, take as much time as you need. Here's my card." Detective Eddie said as he held the business card out. When Tony didn't take it, Steve reached out for it, shaking their hands before they exited the room.

"That could have gone better."

"I don't really care at this point. I'll send a more sincere apology with the evidence later. Once the guilt sets in."

"Good, they looked like they were going to bolt halfway through your rant." The Captain said with a chuckle. "I'm going to go check on the transport."

Tony sat in silence; the only sound was the beeping of the heart rate monitor and the teen's soft breathing. The genius took Peter's hand in his and rubbed soft circles into his palm. "I'm going to make sure that he can't ever hurt you again." The man jumped when the door opened.

"The transport is ready; they're going to send a nurse in to get him ready."

"Thanks, Steve," He said before leaning down and whispering in the brunette's ear, "I'll see you soon, kid," He ran a tender hand through the curly brown hair before following Steve out of the room.

\-----

Peter woke slowly, the feeling of warmth was comforting, and the teen didn't want it to leave. He basked in the feeling for a while before his memories of the basement bubbled to the surface. His eyes shot open, and his breathing turned erratic. His eyes flew around the unfamiliar room, searching for the threat that was always lurking in the back of his mind.

Someone burst through the door, and the brunette jolted up only to become light-headed at the sudden movement. The person, a woman, ran forward and tried to push the flailing teen back down. Peter squealed in fear and pushed her away, watching in horror as she fell to the floor. "I'm sorry! I-I'm so s-sorry!" He sobbed as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He tried to stand, but he cried out in pain before collapsing to the floor. The I.V.s tore painfully from his skin, and despite everything, he managed to catch himself before he face-planted. As soon as he caught his weight, it sent a sharp bolt of pain through his shoulder that nearly had him collapsing the rest of the way to the floor.

The brunette looked up when two men ran into the room and started walking towards him. He scrambled back until he hit a wall sobbing in fear as one of the men pulled out a syringe. "I'm sorry, pl-please, please, I-I'm so so-sorry." He cried as he curled up against the wall, knowing that there was no escape from what was to come.

"Wait! Wai- STOP! Back off! He's just scared! I said back away!" A man shouted.

Peter huddled against the wall, trembling in anticipation until the room grew quiet, and he felt a presence next to him. After a few seconds, he looked up to see Tony Stark kneeling a few feet away and slightly to the right. There was a clear path to the door, and the brunette felt less trapped than before.

"Hey, buddy, Do you know who I am?"

The boy nodded, "Mr. St-Stark," He whispered. His eyes went to the woman from earlier, and guilt and fear flooded into his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry, I di-didn't mean t-to push her. Is sh-she okay?"

"I'm okay, Peter. I'm sorry that I frightened you. My name is Helen Cho; I'm a doctor. I was worried that you were going to hurt yourself. Are you okay?"

He nodded before looking back at Tony. He flinched back and whimpered when the man with the syringe took a step forward.

Without taking his eyes off of Peter, the billionaire knew what was happening. "I've got this, Bruce," He said calmly but firmly. Bruce nodded and left, followed closely by the other man.

"Okay kiddo, do you want to get back on the bed? I can help you; I'm sure your feet hurt."

"Okay," The brunette responded obediently as his gaze fell to the floor.

The mechanic reached out and slowly wrapped his arm around the teen's skinny waist. Ignoring the initial flinch, he hoisted him up carefully, and half dragged, half carried the boy back to the bed. Tony helped him adjust until he was comfortable.

Helen walked over and smiled, warmly. "Hi, Peter, are you hurt?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry that I p-pushed you."

"That's okay; I understand why you did. I need to put the IV back in, okay? It's keeping you hydrated and is helping with the pain."

He nodded and looked away as she swabbed the back of his hand and brought the needle down into his flesh. The brunette flinched slightly at the pain but otherwise made no protest. Once the line was in place, Peter laid back against the pillow as exhaustion took over. His eyes drifted shut, and he was asleep in seconds.

\-----

The next time Peter woke, he felt more clear-headed. He looked around until his eyes fell on Tony. The man looked tired, but he perked up when he realized that the teen was awake.

"Hey, kid. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay,"

"Do you need anything? Are you thirsty or hungry?"

"Thirsty?" The brunette responded quietly.

"Sure, kid, whatever you need, all you have to do is ask." The billionaire said as he stood to fetch a glass. He came back with a pitcher and a cup with a straw. "Here you go,"

"Thanks, Mr. Stark," He took the glass and emptied it in just a few gulps. Tony filled it again, waiting for the teen to drink his fill. Once he was done, he handed the glass back and looked around curiously. "Where am I?"

"We are in Avengers Tower. I had you transferred a few days ago."

"I've been here for three days?" The brunette whispered in disbelief. _ How did I get here? Why would He bring me here? He's a doctor; he always patches me up. _

"Yeah, you had pneumonia, and you're hurt pretty bad. You've been in and out the whole time, this morning was the first time you were coherent. The good news is you can probably leave tomorrow," Tony stated happily in hopes that the boy would be excited about being out of the med bay. His smile fell when all the color drained from the kid's face.

"Oh…" _ He's going to be so mad. _ Peter thought as tears welled in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong, kid? Are you okay? Do you need more meds?"

"I do-don't want to go b-back. Please don't ma-make me; I'll be g-good."

"Woah, kid. It's okay. Do you mean Dave?" The teen nodded, and the mechanic suddenly understood the fear that shinned in his eyes. "He's not your foster father anymore. I...I am," The genius said hesitantly.

"You... you're my- my foster father?" He whispered before looking into the man's eyes.

"Yeah, kiddo, and I'm not going to let that monster hurt to you ever again. I've been in contact with some detectives that are investigating your case. I've collected some evidence that I sent over to them. They want to talk to you when you're up for it."

A small smile spread across Peter's face. _ He's gone. He can't hurt me anymore! But… What if he's right? What if I am as useless as he always said? What if I really did deserve it? _

"Hey, buddy, what are you thinking?"

"I- What if he was r-right? Maybe I d-did deser-"

"Don't finish that sentence. He tortured you and said that it was discipline. If anyone deserves what he did, it's him." His voice softened before he continued, "Listen, kid, I know what your thinking, 'What if he was right? What if all those things he said about me were true?'. Well, believe me when I say that he couldn't have been more wrong. Not many people know this about me, but my father was a mean drunk. He would smack me around and call me names; tell me things like: You'll never amount to anything, Stark men are made of iron, they don't cry like babies, and so on. Sometimes I still wonder if he right, but I have people that love me and make sure that when I have a bad day, they're there to make it better. That's what I'm going to do for you; I'm going to make sure that you know how smart you are and how selfless and caring and sweet and amazing you can be. I'll be there for you on your bad days and your good days. That's what I'm supposed to do as your guardian."

Peter blinked in disbelief as tears of joy slid down his cheeks. "Wow… uh, thank you, Mr. Stark. I...I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Tony responded. He smiled when the teen wiped his eyes and tried to stifle a yawn. "Get some sleep, kid. I'll be here when you wake up." The brunette nodded before laying back against the pillows and closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I love comments!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has dinner with Tony and Steve, Peter has a nightmare, and Tony tries to gain the teen's trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys get some Irondad comfort!

The next day, Peter was released from the med bay, and Tony was excited to show him around the tower. The teen needed a wheelchair because his feet were still bruised, but the billionaire didn’t mind pushing the kid around. The team had decided to hold off on introductions until Peter was feeling better and had all gone out for the day to give him and Tony some space.

The hero showed him the communal floor, both of his workshops, Bruce’s lab, the bowling alley, the garage, and then wrapped it up with his level and Peter’s room. The genius babbled about one thing or another the whole time, but the teen didn’t mind the chatter.

By the time they had made it to their floor, the brunette was falling asleep in his chair. The billionaire put a hand on the boy’s shoulder and shook him gently. “We made it to your room, kid,” He said quietly.

The brunette jerked awake and fell out of the chair. “I-I’m sorry, s-sir, I’m sorry-y,” He pleaded through tears as he curled up into a ball on the floor.

The man stood frozen for a split second before he dropped to his knees in front of the trembling boy. “It’s okay; you’re okay. I’m not going hurt you; you’re safe.”

Peter looked up when he realized where he was and who he was with.  _ I’m in Avengers Tower, and I’m with Mr. Stark, not...Him. Mr. Stark said he wouldn’t hurt me. Please, don’t hurt me. _

“Can I touch you, Peter? Just to help you onto the bed?” They sat in silence for several long seconds before the teen nodded slowly. The billionaire made his movements slow and obvious as he wrapped an arm around the boy’s waist. He hoisted him up and sat him down on the bed. Peter laid down, and Tony pulled the blankets over him. The mechanic sat by his legs and put a hand on his knee. The brunette looked up with fear in his eyes but didn’t pull away. “It’s okay to be scared. When you are, I want you to try and remember that I will never hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.”

“O-okay, thank you, Mr. Stark,”

“Anytime, kid. Get some sleep; when you wake up, we can have some dinner.” The man smiled fondly and wondered how he had become so attached to this scrawny, genius of a teen so fast.

\-----

An hour later, Tony was sitting at the kitchen counter when Steve walked in. “J.A.R.V.I.S. said the kid was asleep. How’s he doing?”

The mechanic sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Physically, he’s doing okay,”

“And mentally?” The blond encouraged.

“I thought everything was going pretty well; I showed him around for a while when I noticed him falling asleep I brought him to his room. I put my hand on his shoulder and told him so, but he freaked out and fell on the floor. He _ apologized  _ for _ falling asleep! Apologized, _ Steve! I’ve been there; I know the fear he’s feeling, but that kid in there, he doesn’t deserve this. He’s amazing, and I can’t believe that someone could hurt him this badly.”

“You didn’t deserve it either, Tony,” Steve assured

The man nodded slowly before continuing, “I just wish that I could take the fear away.”

“You have to gain his trust before he stops being afraid of you. It’s going to take time, but I know you’ll get there. And I’m here if you need me.”

The billionaire smiled. “Thanks, Steve. You want to stay for dinner?”

“Do you think he’ll be okay with that?”

“We’ll ask, but I think it will be okay, you are Captain America after all.”

The blond blushed at the compliment but nodded. “Okay, but only if he’s alright with it.”

“Great! Let’s get cooking!”

“Tony, you’re a terrible cook.”

“And that’s why you’re here!”

The Captain rolled his eyes fondly before following the mechanic to the kitchen.

\-----

When Peter awoke, he was alone. He was in a big comfortable bed; it was so unlike his own- The teen sat up abruptly and was immediately dizzy from the sudden movement. All of his injuries screamed in protest, especially the bruises down his legs, and he tried to focus on slowing his breathing. When the room came into focus, his eyes shot around frantically; after a few seconds, the events of the past few hours came flooding back, and the brunette sighed in relief. His shoulders slumped as the tension bled from his body. He felt safer than he had for a long time, knowing that He could never get to him here took an immense weight off of his mind, and he allowed himself to relax.

After a few minutes, he became aware of the nagging emptiness in his stomach. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and applied a little pressure to his feet. He winced as pain flared up his legs; he could probably walk, but he really didn’t want to. He had forgotten how much it hurt to have the soles of his feet so bruised. He looked around for the wheelchair that he had used earlier and saw that it was by the door; about ten feet away. The teen’s shoulders slumped in defeat as his head fell into his hands. He pressed the heel’s of his hands into his eyes in an attempt to fight back the tears that were building.

“Hey, kid,”

Peter’s head shot up in surprise, and he felt a little dizzy again. His heart rate sped up until he noticed that it was Mr. Stark that had spoken. “H-hi Mr. Stark,”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m...o-okay, I guess. I’m sore and my-” He stopped and looked at his feet. “My...they hurt when I put pressure on them, and I couldn’t reach the, um, the wheelchair…” His voice faded off at the end, and he looked up at the billionaire.

A look of guilt crossed the man’s face when he realized that he had left the kid stranded. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t even think about it when I put it there.” He said as he pushed the chair over to the edge of the bed. “We, uh...we made dinner. I’ll bet you’re hungry.”

“Yeah, I am.” The brunette answered as he sat in the wheelchair. “Wait, who’s we?” He asked when the words registered.

“Uh- Me and Steve. Well, Steve cooked, but I supervised.” The mechanic responded proudly as he started to push Peter toward the kitchen.

“You mean Captain America?”

“Yeah, I invited him for dinner. Uh, that is if you’re okay with him joining us.” He added quickly as he mentally kicked himself for not asking sooner.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay with that. I mean, he did cook, and it would be rude to ask him to leave.” The chair came to a sudden stop, and the teen immediately thought that he had done something wrong. He curled in on himself as Tony came around and knelt in front of him.

“Hey, it’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong. I just want you to know that if you want him to leave no one would be mad. We just want to help you and if that means you need more time before there are more people around then we will wait until you’re ready. Are you sure that you’re okay with him staying?”

Peter was shocked at the softness of the man’s voice and face. Usually, people only talked to him with disappointment, disgust, or anger in their eyes. “I want him to stay.” He whispered as he looked into the billionaire’s eyes. Tony smiled, and the teen smiled back.

“Okay. Well, I’m hungry, so let’s get to the kitchen before Cap eats all of the food.” He wheeled the kid into the kitchen, and the brunette tried not to be nervous. His mouth watered when the smell hit him, and his stomach growled embarrassingly loud. He blushed when he heard someone laugh. He looked up, and Steve Rogers was sitting at the table; three plates of some kind of pasta had been set out, and Mr. Stark wheeled him over to the spot that was missing a chair.

“Hi, Peter, I’m Steve.”

“Hello, Mr. Captain America sir,” The teen said quietly.

“Oh, uh, just call me Steve, buddy,” The blond insisted.

Tony locked the wheels in place and took a seat between Steve and Peter. “Okay, I’m starving! Let’s eat!” He exclaimed before taking a large bite of the fettuccine. Cap rolled his eyes before taking a much smaller bite. Peter waited until everyone else had started before trying his own portion. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of pleasure when spices in the sauce hit his tastebuds.  _ This is so amazing! Not only am I eating with Captain America and Iron Man, but the food is incredible! _ The brunette thought as all thoughts of manners fled his mind. He dug in with gusto and didn’t stop until his plate was empty. He sat back, a content smile on his face before he looked around and realized that he just inhaled his food. His companions had barely made a dent in theirs, and the teen’s face tinged red with embarrassment once again.

“Do you want some more?” Steve asked.

“Oh, uh, no, I’m good, thanks. It was delicious, Mr. Rogers,”

“Thanks, buddy. It’s nice to feel appreciated.” He said with a pointed look at the mechanic.

Tony froze with a fork full of pasta halfway to his mouth. “Oh, yeah, thanks, Cap!” He said before shoving the food in his mouth.

Peter yawned, and his eyes drooped as he felt a wave of exhaustion crash over him.

“Alright, kiddo, time for bed.”

The brunette looked up and nodded in agreement as Mr. Stark stood to take him back to his room. “Goodnight, Mr. Rogers,” He said with a lazy wave.

“Goodnight, Peter,”

Tony pushed the kid to his room and straight over to the bed. When the teen didn’t move for several moments, Tony put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, kid, what’s wrong?”

“I-I need to, you know, uh, use the bathroom…” He trailed off uncertainly.

“Right, of-of course.” The mechanic stuttered as he pushed the chair into the bathroom. He stopped by the toilet and locked the wheels before he started to exit the room. “I’ll give you some space, holler when you’re done.” The man said awkwardly as he shut the door.

The teen emptied his bladder and brushed his teeth before he called the billionaire back in. “Here, take these.” The billionaire said as he handed over a white pill and a glass of water. “It’s hydrocodone; it will help with the pain so that it’s easier to sleep.”

“Okay, thanks,” The brunette said before taking them. He drank half of the glass and handed it back to Tony. The genius helped the boy get in bed before pulling the blanket up to his chin. “Goodnight, kid. Just let J.A.R.V.I.S. know if you need anything.”

“Okay, Mr. Stark, thank you.”

“No problem, kid.”

Peter watched his mentor walk out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack. He turned onto his side and fell asleep almost immediately.

\-----

The next couple of days passed much the same way. Peter slept most of the time as he tried to heal. When he wasn’t sleeping, he was eating or trying to catch up on his schoolwork. He was worried that having so much time off was going to drop his grade enough to lose him the scholarship.

Four days after being discharged from the med bay, Dr. Cho allowed him to ditch the wheelchair for a crutch and told him to stay off of his feet as much as he could. It would still be a few more days before he would be able to walk around freely again.

The teen wanted to skip the crutch all together; he was used to ignoring his pain, but everyone kept telling him that he didn’t need to live like that anymore. They were there to take care of him, to make sure that he didn’t have to ignore his pain anymore. Peter didn’t want to cause any conflict, so he just nodded and went along with what they wanted him to do.

He was healing, it was slow, but he noticed how the pain in his feet was lessening each day. The bruises covering his body were fading, and the gashes on his back were closing up. His fear was also pushed away by happiness; an emotion he felt very little in the past year. Tony tried to eat every meal with him, and he never made him feel insignificant or worthless. It was a significant change, and the teen hadn’t realized how a few encouraging words could help push back the negative words that always bounced around in his head.

Sometimes he couldn’t believe his life had changed so dramatically. He had dreamed of being rescued from the hell that his life had become, but the brunette had never thought that it would ever happen. He had always figured that Dave would kill him before he would have been able to know true happiness again.

Of course, he was far from better. He still flinched at sudden movements and loud noises. He didn’t like it when anyone besides Mr. Stark touched him, and he didn’t feel ready to meet the rest of the Avengers. Captain America had spent some time with him, but Tony had always been with them. He hadn’t had any nightmares for a while, but he suspected it had something to do with the medication.

Everything was going pretty well. Of course, there were bound to be some speed bumps along the way.

\-----

“Sir, it seems that Peter is in distress,” J.A.R.V.I.S. announced over the lab speakers.

Tony’s head shot up at the unexpected interruption. He immediately dropped his project and ran for the door. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Steve emerging from the stairs. They stopped and looked at each other before a fear-filled shout reached their ears. The billionaire sprinted ahead, and the blond followed.

They threw the door open to find the teen curled up on the bed, crying and whimpering in fear. He was obviously having a nightmare, and the mechanic went to the brunette’s side. “Peter, hey, Pete. It’s okay; you’re safe. Wake up, kid, you’re safe.” When the quiet words didn’t rouse the trembling child, Tony placed a hand on his shoulder.

Peter shot up with a yelp and scrambled across the bed. “I-I’m sorry, so s-sorry. Please don’t, please. I’m s-sorry, please don’t.” The teen stutter between sobs.

The mechanic put his hands up in an attempt to show that he wasn’t a threat. “Hey, kid, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

The only response was the same plea over and over again: “I-I’m sorry, please do-don’t, pl-please.”

“Okay, it’s okay Peter, you’re safe. No one here is going to hurt you, I promise. Do you...do you want us to leave?” He asked, hesitantly.

The brunette looked back and forth between the two men before nodding. As soon as he did, he ducked his head and hunched his shoulders, waiting for a blow that never came.

“Okay, Pete. It’s okay, kid; we’ll do whatever you need us to do. We aren’t mad, I promise. We’re going.” He turned to Steve and slowly walked to the door. They closed it behind them before walking to the kitchen.

Tony went straight for the coffee maker, and the blond sat at the counter. No one said anything for a while; the only sounds came from the coffee pot. Once the beverage was done, the billionaire grabbed two mugs, setting one down in front of Steve. He took his own cup and sat across from the man.

“Did I do the right thing?” Tony asked quietly.

The Captain looked up and considered the question. “He doesn’t trust you yet. For the past year, the parental figures in his life have hurt him. He’s still scared- terrified that all of this is too good to be true. He’s waiting for you to hurt him.”

“I just want to help him, but how can I do that if he’s so afraid of me that he won’t even let me touch him?”

“You need to earn his trust. You just showed him that you will do what he asks. Hopefully, after tonight, he will trust you a little bit more than before.”

“What if… What if he was hurt more than we know? What if that- that  _ Monster _ hurt him worse than what we’ve been told?”

“What are you getting at Tony?”

“What if he was... _ sexually abused? _ He was terrified when I touched him. I can’t- I don’t know if I can do this.”

The blond’s expression darkened before he spoke, “This isn’t about you, this stopped being about you as soon as you gave that boy hope for a better life. If you give up on him now, he may never be able to trust anyone ever again. So don’t you dare tell me that you can’t do this because I will personally beat you senseless if you hurt Peter like that.” Steve growled.

Tony sat stunned for a moment before blinking several times. “You’re right. I can’t do that to the kid. I...I’ll do whatever I can to help him.”

“Good. I’ll help him too, but he trusts you more than he trusts me.”

“Thank, Cap,” The mechanic said with a smile. They both looked up when they heard someone sniffling.

Peter stood in the doorway, tears running down his cheeks. He had a hopeful look in his eyes, and both men smiled at the teen.

“Hey, Pete. How are you doing? Do you need anything?” Tony asked quietly.

“I-I heard what you s-said.”

The billionaire stood, and Peter looked over, his hopeful eyes now full of fear. “I-I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean too, I-”

Tony froze, unsure of what he should do. He didn’t mean to scare the boy.

“Hey buddy, it’s okay. We aren’t mad, I promise.” Steve assured.

The teen looked between the men several times, trying to determine if it was a trick. Finally, after several seconds, he relaxed just a little before nodding. “O-okay,”

“Do you want to talk about it? Your dream?” The mechanic asked.

“N-no.”

“Okay, that’s okay, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Do you want some hot chocolate?”

A small smile graced the teen’s lips as he gave a hesitant nod. Tony sat back down as Steve stood. Peter sat with a chair between him and his mentor. They sat quietly until a mug of hot chocolate was placed in front of the teen. The brunette took the cup in both hands and looked at both of the heroes before taking a sip. His eyes lit up a little before he took a large gulp. Peter finished the drink in about two minutes, a smile of contentment on his face. He set the mug down and stared at his hands for a moment before he quietly spoke, “He never hurt me like...like  _ that. _ ” He whispered.

Tony gave a quiet sigh of relief at the revelation.

“He used to tie me up and lock me in the closet whenever I had a nightmare. My screaming would wake him, and he was always so mad. I would usually have a panic attack and pass out. That’s why I was scared.” The teen twisted his hands in nervous anticipation.

The men sat in stunned silence for a few moments. Tony was exceptionally grateful that the kid hadn’t been abused sexually, but his confession was still alarming. “I promise that I will never hurt you. No one in this tower will ever hurt you. If you ever want to talk or-or if you ever...if you ever need a hug or something, I’m here for you.” The mechanic stated awkwardly.

“Can I…can I have a hug...please?”

“Of course, kid, come here.” Tony was almost knocked off of his chair when the skinny teen body-slammed him. He wasn’t prepared for the kid to break down into sobs in his arms, and as soon as it happened, he looked at Steve, panic written across his face.

_ You’ve got this. _ The blond mouthed in encouragement before standing and heading for bed.

  
The mechanic nodded before carefully bringing a hand to Peter’s hair. The brunette practically melted into the touch. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you, kid,” Eventually, the teen cried himself to sleep, and Tony picked him up and stumbled to the bedroom. He gently laid Peter down and pulled up the blankets. He turned to leave, but a hand caught him by the sleeve before a sleepy  _ please stay _ was whispered. “Sure, kid,” He responded before dragging a chair to the side of the bed. “I’m not going anywhere.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter talks to the detectives, and it brings up a lot of bad memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So someone commented on how I say 'the brunette' a lot in this fic. I am very new to writing, and I haven't really figured out my writing style yet, so I've been trying out a few different things. That being said, I'm glad it was brought up, and I will try to work on it with my future fics. Now that I've brought it up, everyone is going to notice. Sorry if it starts to bug you now!
> 
> I realize that this chapter is pretty long, but I couldn't figure out a good spot to break it up without having a really short chapter.
> 
> There is some graphic child abuse in this chapter.

The next morning, Peter opened his eyes and saw Mr. Stark asleep in the chair next to the bed. It looked pretty uncomfortable, and he wondered why the man had fallen asleep there in the first place. He sat up quickly when he remembered the events of the night before. The nightmare, thinking that he was going to be tied up and locked in the closet, the conversation the two heroes had, his confession, the hot chocolate...asking Mr. Stark to stay. He was trying to decide if he should wake the mechanic or if he should let him sleep. _ He doesn't look very comfortable, but what if he gets mad? He always got mad if I woke him, what if Mr. Stark does too? What if- _Peter jumped when the man in question spoke.

"Morning, kid," The billionaire said before he stretched and yawned. "How did you sleep?" Either he hadn't noticed that he had scared the teen or he ignored it.

"Uh, I- fine, I guess."

"Better than me I'm guessing," Tony mumbled.

"I-I'm sorry, you didn't have to st-stay."

"Hey, it's okay. Remember when I said that I would be here for your bad days? Well, I think last night was a bad day. I couldn't just leave you alone when you needed me to stay. I don't regret it, and I'll do it as many times as you need me to." He explained patiently.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Stark," The brunette whispered.

"Okay. Well, I'm starving, why don't we go get some breakfast."

Peter nodded in agreement and sat in the wheelchair when Tony pushed it over. When they walked into the hall, they could smell bacon. The billionaire's steps quickened just a tad and when they came around the corner see Steve at the stove. He was humming and old-timey song while he scrambled eggs and flipped bacon.

"Morning, Cap,"

The blond jumped slightly and turned with a smile on his face. "Morning, Tony, Peter. How did you guys sleep?"

The teen looked away; he felt guilty that Mr. Stark had slept poorly. "We slept great, right, Pete?"

"Oh, y-yeah, no more nightmares." He answered awkwardly. 

"That's good. I'm glad. Well, I hope you guys are hungry cause I made so much food."

"Are- are you going to stay?" Peter asked.

Both men looked at each other before Steve responded. "Uh, only if it's okay with you, buddy."

The teen blinked a few times as he let the words sink in. _ Dinner was delicious, he was really nice, and I never felt uncomfortable. Plus after I had my nightmare, he said that he would help me if he could. _ "I would like it if you stayed." He answered confidently. When the blond smiled, Peter smiled back.

They all sat and ate breakfast together. The teen listened to the men tell crazy stories about being superheroes. They told him about the rest of the Avengers and the more they spoke; the more Peter wanted to meet them. Especially Dr. Banner, the brunette had read a few of his papers and would love to ask a few questions. They laughed and told jokes, and when they had finished eating, they sat a little longer as Steve told a story about his best friend, Bucky.

After the story, the blond stood and started cleaning up. As the teen watched, he realized that this was the first time in over a year that he had felt truly happy. He didn't have the suffocating fear overshadowing his thoughts; he was still worried that it was all too good to be true, but at this moment, all he could think about was how happy he felt. He didn't even realize that he was crying until Mr. Stark asked him if he was alright.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm great. I just - _ I forgot what it was like to feel safe, to not have dread creeping in all the time _\- I'm happy." He looked into the man's eyes and smiled when all he saw was joy.

"Me too, kid, me too," Tony said before turning to help Steve with the clean-up.

\-----

Later that night, after dinner, Tony sat down with Peter; he really needed to talk to the kid about the detectives. So, instead of helping Steve clean up, he sat down across from the teen. "We need to talk, Peter," The mechanic said evenly.

The man was surprised that when the brunette looked up, he had fear in his eyes. "D-did I do something wrong?" He asked quietly, casting looks from one hero to the other.

"No! No, you've done nothing wrong. I, uh...I got a call from the detectives today. They were wondering if you would be willing to give a statement."

"Oh…" The teen whispered. His fear lessened, but now he was nervous. _ How much will I have to tell them? Are they going to want all of the details or just a general overview? I don't want to talk to them at all but... what if they don't have enough evidence to put him in jail? _

After a few seconds of silence, Tony spoke again, bringing Peter out of his thoughts. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm pretty sure they have enough evidence to convict him, I think that your statement would help determine the amount of time he serves, though."

The brunette nodded as a thoughtful look crossed his face. "When do they want me to talk to them?"

"Uh, tomorrow…"

_ He said that I don't have to, but I feel obligated to tell them. Were there any other kids, or was I the only one? What if he just gets a few years and then he gets out and hurts someone else? _ Thoughts flashed through his head, each one making him want to do it less. _ May would do it. _ He thought suddenly. Remembering his promises that he had made to her over the last year finalized his decision. "I'll do it." He responded firmly.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked.

"Yes." After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Will you be able to stay with me?"

"Whatever you want, kid,"

"Okay," Peter said with a nod.

"Great, I'll call them, and we'll figure out when a good time would be."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. For everything."

The billionaire smiled and carefully draped an arm across the teen's shoulder. "Anytime, Peter,"

\-----

Tony called the detectives after dinner and announced that they would be coming after breakfast tomorrow. As a result, Peter didn't sleep well; he was up most of the night worrying about what would happen when he talked to the detectives. _ What if my statement isn't enough? Will they let him go? Will he foster a new kid? Did I deserve it? What if I really was as terrible as he always told me I was? Do I deserve to be here? With the richest, most powerful man in New York? What if they decide that I didn't deserve to be saved? What if- _ Peter jumps when someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, Pete?"

The teen looks up into Tony's eyes and forced the panic down. _ Not Him, he's not here. Mr. Stark won't let him hurt me again. _ He thinks, but the little voice in the back of his head won't be silenced and a tiny - _ do I deserve to be protected - _makes its way to the surface. "Yeah, I-I'm just nervous."

"It's going to be fine. No one is going to judge you. I'll be with you the whole time. If at any point, you want to stop or take a break, you just let me know, and the detectives will leave. This isn't an interrogation; we're here to help you." Tony says softly, his eyes never leaving Peter's.

The brunette feels tears build, but he quickly blinks them away. He glances over a Steve before looking back at his mentor. "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Stark."

The mechanic smiles and wraps an arm around the teen's shoulder. "No problem, kiddo,"

"Sir, the detectives are here. I sent them to conference room two."

"Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S. Tell them we'll be there in a minute."

"Of course, sir,"

"Alright, buddy, it's time to go. Are you ready?"

Peter shakes his head before sucking in a deep breath. "Nope, but let's go anyway."

Tony nods and guides the brunette to the elevator. By the time the doors open, Peter's hands are shaking, and he balls them into fists in an attempt to still them. They walk into the conference room, and a man and a woman stand to greet them.

"Hello, Peter. I'm detective Jameson, and this is my partner, detective Eddie." The woman says politely.

The teen is grateful when no one wants to shake his hand. He looks between the two before saying a quiet hello. Mr. Stark smiles and says hello before he steers Peter toward a chair before sitting next to him.

"Okay, Peter, we are here to get a statement about the abuse you suffered under the care of Davis Simpson."

The teen flinches a little at word abuse, he knows that it's the right word, but it's still hard to call it that sometimes. He looks over when Tony takes his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. The brunette smiles at him before focusing on the detective again.

"We're going to record your statement. If this case goes to court, chances are, your attorney will be able to use this so that you don't have to testify." She explains as detective Eddie sets up a camera. "It will also help us determine if there are any additional charges that need to be added to his record."

He's still pretty nervous, but thinking about having to testify scares him to death. If all he has to do is talk to a couple of detectives while they record it… Well, he'd take that over having to see Him again any day. The teen takes a deep breath and waits for the first question.

"Okay, Peter, I want you to tell me about the first time Dave hurt you."

He closes his eyes and thinks back to the first week with Him. He feels Tony squeezes his hand, and the teen looks up. He sees the promises the man had made. _ I'll never let him hurt you again. I'll be here on your bad days and your good days. _ For the first time, he starts to believe those promises. He's only been in the tower for a week, but in that week he's felt safer and happier than he has since before May died. _ I'm doing this for May because she always did the right thing. If I do this and it saves just one person from His cruelty, then everything will be worth it. _

So he sighs and starts at the beginning.

_ He moved in with Dave two days ago; he hasn't even finished unpacking yet. School ended a few weeks ago, and Peter has wanted to hang out with Ned ever since. He was hardly ever allowed to leave the home for anything other than school, but he hopes that Dave will be different. So, he decides to ask. _

_ "Hey, Dave?" _

_ He watches the man's jaw clench and knows the answer before he's even asked the question. "Yes, Peter?" He says slowly. _

_ The teen gulps but asks, "I w-was wondering if-if I could go to Ned's house? My friend from-from school?" He adds quickly to clarify. _

_ "Not today." He says before focusing on his laptop again. _

_ "Why not?" He blurts without thinking. He regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth. His foster father freezes, and the brunette takes a step back when he turns to face him. _

_ "Did you just talk back to me?" He asks calmly. _

_"I-I just don't un-under-stand," The teen whispers. He sees the backhand coming, but he doesn't have time to brace for it, and the force sends him to the floor. He curls into a ball and covers his head. Peter knows showing weakness is a bad idea, but he doesn't know what to expect from this man._ Protect the head, protect the head. _He thinks as he tenses for a blow. He yelps when he yanked to his feet by his hair. A hand wraps around his throat, and he scrambles to grip it before his oxygen is cut off._

_ "You _ never _ talk back. I am in charge and what I say goes. You will not question my decisions, you will call me sir, and you will show me respect. Do you understand?" _

_ Peter can feel tears on his face as he struggles to draw in a breath. "Y-yes...s...sir," He manages to choke out. _

_ "Good," Dave says. He tightens his hold for a split second before dropping the teen. Peter crashes to the floor, coughing and sucking in precious air. He flinches when the man moves before noticing that he's walking away. "Never interrupt me when I'm in my office again." _

_ The brunette nods quickly as he staggers to his feet and out the door. When he finally makes it to his room, he slides down the door and hugs his knees. The dam breaks, and quietly sobs. _Someone, anyone, help me, please.

As he finishes, he realizes that he's crying. He wipes his eyes and looks around before he feels a hand on his back. He flinches before realizing that it's just Mr. Stark. "You okay, kid?" He asks softly.

"Yeah, I-I'm okay. We can keep going." He looks at detective Jameson as he thinks over his next words. "Those were the first rules, I can't remember them all, but I remember those ones."

"Can you tell us the ones you do remember?"

"Straight home after school, never go anywhere without permission, keep my grades up, don't complain, never go in his room, always finish my chores, have dinner ready before he comes home, don't wake him for anything, don't get in trouble at school, don't interrupt him at work, don't ask questions…" He lists the like it's a mantra before trailing off. "There are more, but I can't remember them right now."

"Peter, I need you to say the name of the person that hurt you and made the rules." Detective Eddie says gently.

The teen looks at him quickly before nodding slowly. "Right, his name is...Davis Simpson."

"We need that on record so that no one is confused about who you're talking about."

Peter nods again before he feels Tony squeeze his hand. He gives a gentle squeeze back as a small smile of thanks lights his face.

"Okay, Peter, I need you to tell us what would happen if you broke any of the rules."

The brunette takes a deep breath as his eyes fill with tears. "It depends. If I woke him, it was usually because I was having a nightmare. He would tie me up and shut me in the closet for the rest of the night. The last time I broke curfew, he beat me with a belt. If I asked the wrong question or complained, he would hit me. I had to keep my grades up because I'm a scholarship student and he said that if I lost it, he would home school me. If I got in trouble at school, he wouldn't let me eat at home for a few days…"

"Were you ever afraid that he was going to kill you?" Detective Jameson asked.

He looks at her for a moment before answering. "Y-yeah. There was one time that I thought...thought he was trying to-to k-kill me."

_ Peter was making tacos for dinner. It was summer, and he liked to make something that wasn't pre-cook or pasta like he usually did during the school year. _

_ He had browned and seasoned the meat and was cutting some fresh vegetables for a salad when he heard the door open. He froze as fear choked him. He glanced at the clock, praying that he heard wrong. His brow furrowed when he saw that it was only 5:30. Dave always got home at 6:00 on Fridays, why was he home early? He jumped when the door slammed before putting down the knife and making his way toward the front door. He could see that his foster father was furious, and it sent a wave of dread through him. _

_ "Is dinner ready?" The man barked. _

_ "A-almost, sir," He answered before running back to the kitchen. He quickly finished the salad as Dave sat at the table, his knee bouncing with impatience. Peter grabbed the rest of the ingredients from the fridge and set everything out on the table. He got plates, forks, and glasses from the cupboard and laid them out before taking his seat. His breath was coming a little fast, and he was shaking, but he relaxed a little when the man across from him focused on the food. They ate in silence, the only sound coming from Dave's rough treatment of the silverware. The teen flinched every time the fork clanked against the plate, and he hoped that he wouldn't break anything. _

_ Once they finished, Peter went about cleaning the kitchen. He had just finished when he heard glass breaking. _

_ "Peter! Get in here!" The boy scrambled to obey and stopped just outside the man's study. He froze when he saw glass shattered across the floor. He then noticed a bottle half full of amber-colored liquid. "Get me a new glass and then clean up this mess." He looked around and found a shelf with three other glasses, and he cautiously entered the room. He grabbed a glass and set it next to the bottle before leaving to find a towel and the broom. He rushed back and cleaned the mess quickly, throwing the broken glass in the garbage before taking the towel the washer and putting the broom away. _

_ He went upstairs and took a shower before getting ready for bed. He had never seen Dave drink before and wondered if he had just never noticed or if this was the first time since he's been here. He brushed his teeth and put on his pajamas before climbing in under the covers. He read his book for a half-hour before turning off the light and falling asleep. _

_ He woke when he felt himself falling, his eyes snapping open just as he hit the floor. He gasped for breath and looked up to see his foster father looming over him. The teen scrambled back, but he didn't get far before a hand was in his hair. He yelped and as he was thrown across the room, his side connecting painfully against the door jam before he hit the ground. _

_ "Why are you always screaming?! Just shut up! I hate hearing you whine all to time!" His words were slurred, and Peter could smell the alcohol on him. He was terrified; he had never seen the man drunk and, so far, it wasn't a pleasant experience. He tried to crawl away only to collapse to the floor when he was kicked in the side. He felt tears on his face as he panted for breath. _

_ "You stupid little shit! Why can't you do anything right?!" He screamed before kicking the boy again and again and again. Peter sobbed in pain and fear until he felt something in his chest snap. All he could do was gasp as the air left his lungs. He was so focused on the pain that he didn't realize that the kicking had stopped. He whimpered as he tried to pull in a breath; his side flared in agony, and he gasped in fear when he realized he could get a full breath. He coughed and whimpered again, every movement hurt, and he tried to hold as still as possible. _

_ "Shut up!" Dave shouted before grabbing the brunette's arm and yanking him to his feet. He cried out and held onto the man's arm as he tried to keep his balance. His breath was coming in shallow pants, and black spots danced at the edge of his vision. _

_ “C-ca...ca-n’t...bre-br...brea-the...can’t...brea-the...pl-plea-ase.” _

_ "Good! Maybe you'll shut up now!" He exclaimed before dropping the gasping boy to the floor and walking away. Peter whined when he hit the floor. After a couple of minutes of gasping for breath, he fell into pain-free darkness. _

"I woke up a few times, but I still couldn't breathe, and I would pass out again each time; until I woke up in the hospital two days later. D-Dave told them I got mugged and that I somehow managed to make it home before collapsing in the hall, said he didn't find me until morning. He claimed that I was supposed to be at a friend's house, so he had no idea that I was there. I had three broken ribs and a collapsed lung; they said I was lucky to be alive. They didn't even call my social worker because they all worked with-with Dave and they trusted him." He says the last sentence with venom in his voice.

The teen wipes his eyes and laughs. "He was so nice after that. I was in the hospital for a week before I went back. It was almost two weeks after I got back before he hit me again. That's when I-I bought…" He trailed off when he remembered the camera. He looked up at the detectives and sees the concerned and worried looks on their faces. "I bought a camera, one of those disposable ones that tourists use. I started taking pictures of-of my...injuries. I hid it in the vent in my bathroom; I was always so scared that he would find them, but he never did. I've been doing it for months. I think there are five or six cameras in there."

Tony squeezes his hand, and Peter turns to see tears in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell anyone, Peter?" The man asks gently.

"I-I was scared that I would be moved somewhere worse, or that they wouldn't believe me like last time."

"What do you mean? Who didn't believe you?"

"My social worker. I reported the home ten times before anyone even tried to investigate. There were eleven other kids in the home, and I was the oldest. I knew it was happening on the first day. There was a little boy; his name is Sammy. I think he's seven now. He had a hand-shaped bruise on his arm. I saw it and knew; it was too big to be one of the other kids. I reported it, but no one cared. I decided to protect the other kids because someone had to. So, for three months, I took as many of their punishments as I could. I reported it every week for two and a half months before anyone bothered to show up. I thought it would get better after that, but then I realized that He was worse and I was too scared to protect myself, to help myself. I spent months protecting others, but no one protected me. Until you." He looked at Tony and smiled through his tears. "You're the first person that's made me feel safe since May. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done for me. I thought that I would be stuck there for the next three years. Or that he would kill me. He got better after the hospital for a while, but it got worse again."

"What...what happened the day I found you?" Tony whispered.

The teen looks at their linked hands before he answeres. "He thought that I stole the watch."

"What?" The man whispers. "So he-he… It was my fault? Oh my God, kid. I'm so sorry. I-"

"It's not your fault; I don't blame you; if it wasn't that it would have been something else. But it's okay because you saved me. I'm-I'm safe now because of you." The mechanic pulls away and stands, turning to leave before he hears Peter's desperate words. "Wait! Don't leave; please don't leave me." The mechanic didn't move as tears fell from his eyes. "Please, Tony," His heart breaks when he hears the fear in the boy's voice. Fear of being abandoned by another person that he cares about. The billionaire turned and pulled the kid into a hug before they collapsed to the floor, their sobs filling the silence. They hear the door open and voices before everyone leaves, and the door shuts again.

They sit like that until they cry themselves out. Peter quiets first, falling into a light sleep. Tony picks him up and carries him to his room.

Steve finds them a little while later. They're facing each other curled on their sides about a foot apart with their hands linked together. The blond smiles before draping a blanket over them. He leaves the door cracked open and makes his way to the kitchen to cook something for when they wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to wrap everything up, guys!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave is sentenced, and Peter meets the rest of the Avengers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter people! I want to thank everyone for their incredible comments and kudos! You guys are amazing!

Peter's dreams were plagued with nightmares; May's death, Mr. Greer's snarling face as he beat him and locked him in the closet, Sammy's terrified, tear-streaked face, Dave's degrading words, the basement, Dave escaping and coming back to finish what he started-

"Peter! Peter, wake up! Peter-"

The teen's eye shot open before he flailed away from the hands holding him down. He curled into a ball and started crying in fear as broken 'I'm sorry's' spilled from his lips.

"Peter, hey, it's okay, you're safe, I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay, Pete, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe, I promise."

"M-Mr. St-ark?"

"Yeah, kiddo, it's me. You're safe, I promise."

The brunette peeked through his fingers and spotted the man a few feet away, an encouraging smile on his face as he tried to reassure the trembling teen. "It's okay buddy. Can I touch you?" Almost before the words are out of his mouth, Peter is in his arms. He can feel him trembling as he rubs the kid's back in slow circles. They sit huddled together for a few minutes as Peter cries quietly. Tony manages to hold his own tears back, the guilt he feels over the watch incident is almost overwhelming, but he can't let it get in the way of comforting his kid.

When the teen pulls back and wipes his eyes, the mechanic smiles at his hair. It's sticking up in all directions and look utterly adorable; the man can't help but run his hand through it. Peter smiles and leans into the gentle touch, craving comfort after his nightmares.

"I think Cap is cooking again, should we go see what he made? I'm starving."

"Okay," The brunette agrees happily, his own stomach growling at the mention of food. They exit the room and walk toward the kitchen. When they round the corner, their mouths' start watering at the fantastic aroma that wafts from the stove.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?" Tony shouts before laughing at the startled look on the blond's face. The man scowls before he realizes that Peter is laughing too. They've never heard him laugh before and Steve can't help but smile at the sound. The laughter was halted when J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke, making everyone jump a little at the unexpected interruption.

"Sir, Miss Potts wishes to speak with you in conference room three."

"Okay, tell her I'll be right there," Tony responded before turning to Peter. "Do you want to come with me or will you be okay here?"

"I'll be okay; maybe I can help Mr. Ro- Steve?" He asks tentatively.

"Sure, buddy, that would be great." The blond assures.

"Great, I'll be right back." The billionaire states as he walks to the elevator.

Peter watches as the doors close and stands for a moment, waiting for instruction. "Do you want to set the table?"

"Yeah, sure," The teen answers. He walks over to the cupboard that Steve points out and gathers three plates and glasses. He takes the plates and a glass to the table, setting them out before returning to the counter for the two remaining utensils. He reaches for the first and watches in horror as he knocks the other to the floor. It shatters and all of the previous time that he had been punished for breaking something flash through his mind. He looked into Steve's surprised eyes and immediately started trembling in fear. _ Oh, God, why am I such a screw-up? Stupid. Useless. Waste of space. _"I-I'm so sorry. I'll cl-clean it up." The teen said hurriedly as he knelt and started picking up the pieces of glass.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it was an accident." Steve tried to reassure the boy. He reached out to help the brunette up but jerked his hand back when Peter screeched in fear and scrambled away.

"I'm s-sorry, I-I'm so so-sorry. Please, do-don't hurt me, please." The boy sobbed.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you, Peter." The blond held his hands up in surrender. He tried to approach again but stopped when the brunette screamed in terror. Luckily, Tony ran in at that moment.

"What is going on!" The mechanic yelled in panic.

The teen whimpered at the raised voice. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please." He pleaded over and over. Tony froze and looked on in shock. He turned to Steve with barely contained fury and sadness in his eyes. He turned and knelt in front of the trembling child.

"Hey, Pete, it's Mr. Stark. You're not in trouble, I promise."

Peter looked into his mentor's eyes and tried to determine whether the man was trying to trick him. _ He hasn't hurt me yet, maybe he means it. _"I'm s-sorry, sir," He whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, kid. Accidents happen. I'm not mad."

"Prom...promise?" He asked, hesitantly.

"I promise," Tony answered. He held his arms out in hopes that Peter would understand. "Come here, kid." He said softly. The brunette looked up, nervously, and the billionaire smiled. A split second later he had an armful of skinny teen. "It's okay; everything's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you." They stayed huddled on the floor until Peter calmed down. "How are you doing, Pete?"

"Better. I'm really so-"

The mechanic quickly cut off the apology. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It was an accident, and no one should ever make you feel this scared over a broken glass. Remember what I said before? Whenever you feel scared, I want you to remember that no one in the tower will ever hurt you. If you do something that you think is wrong, I want you to tell me. I promise I won't get mad. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"I-I'll try,"

"Good. Now, I'm hungry. How about you?" Peter nodded before standing and taking a seat. He smiled at the heroes and looked at the food. His stomach growled, and both men laughed, causing the brunette to blush. "Let's eat!" Mr. Stark exclaimed before digging in. His two companions laughed before filling their own plates. They kept the conversation light and ate their fill before moving to the living room to watch a movie.

Peter sat curled in Tony's lap, the man's hand brushing through his hair. _ I'm going to keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, I promise. _

\-----

Two days after Peter gave his statement, Tony gets a call from his lawyer. The teen is nervous when he leaves the room with a scowl on his face. He sits quietly, staring at the paused movie as he anxiously waits for his mentor to return. _ What if he was released? What if they didn't have enough evidence and they just let him go? Will he come back for me? What if- _ He breaks out of his thoughts when Mr. Stark walks in with a big smile on his face.

He sits next to Peter and takes a breath before speaking. "He got fifteen years." The man announces calmly as he gauges the kid's reaction. The teen sits frozen in shock for a few moments before he launches himself into Tony's arms. The mechanic hugs back fiercely as tears of joy roll down his cheeks.

He looks up when Steve walks, a look of concern on his face. "He got fifteen years!" The billionaire exclaims. Peter pulls back from the embrace and looks at the blond, a big smile plastered across his tear-streaked face. He turns back to his mentor and laughs.

"I can't believe it!"

"He's gone, kiddo! Gone for, well, not for good, but for a while at least!"

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Tony!" He shouts before turning to the super-soldier. "And thank you, Steve! You guys...you saved me, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done, and I just- Thank you."

"I would do it again without a second thought," Cap responds.

"Me too, a million times over if I had to. I'd do anything for you." The mechanic adds before standing. "We need to celebrate! J! Order...order… What should we-"

"A pinata! And an ice cream cake, and pizza, and confetti, and-and…" Peter trails off as an apprehensive look crosses his face. "Maybe- maybe the others - the Avengers I mean - maybe they can come too?" After a few seconds of silence, he looks up and sees the heroes exchanging looks and quickly backtracks. "O-or not. I'm sorry I-I shouldn't-"

"If that's something you want, Pete, this is your party. I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

"O-okay, yeah, I want to meet them. I think I'm ready."

Tony smiles and drapes an arm over the kid's shoulders. "J? Call the team."

"Of course, sir," The A.I. responds.

"Okay, let's get cleaned up and then we can party!"

\-----

After they've made themselves presentable, they meet back in the common area to wait for everyone to arrive. Peter fidgets nervously as he wonders what the rest of the Avengers will be like.

"It's going to be fine, kid. They'll love you." The teen smiles and nods in acknowledgment. 

They both look up when a man walks in. He has light brown hair, blue eyes, and a mischevious look on his face. "Did someone order a pinata?" He asks as he exits the elevator. He's holding a large rainbow paper mache donkey.

"The kid did," Tony says with a smile. "Peter, this is Bird Brain, Bird Brain, this is Peter."

"Uh...hi?" The teen says before shooting a questioning look at the mechanic.

"Call me Clint; only egotistical billionaires call me Bird Brain." He says, glaring daggers at Tony.

Peter looks back and forth between the men thinking that this might not have been the best idea when they both start laughing. He sighs in relief and smiles when he realizes that they were just joking.

The laughter tapers off when three more people exit the elevator. Steve, a woman with fiery red hair, and the man with the syringe from the med bay. The teen swallows and inches toward his foster father as a hint of fear flashes through his thoughts. Sensing his anxiety, the mechanic puts an arm over his shoulder and pulls him close. Peter, grateful for the comfort, latched one hand onto the back of his mentor's shirt and the other onto his pant leg as he tried to hide his trembling. Steve walks past and starts talking to Clint, and the redhead and other man stop several feet away.

"Peter, this is Natasha," He points to the woman and then to the man. "And this is Bruce,"

"It's nice to meet you, Peter," Natasha says with a small smile before she walks over to Steve and Clint.

Bruce shifts nervously. "Come on, Banner, don't be shy." Tony encourages. The teen's head shoots up, and he stares at the scientist for a few moments.

"You-you're Bruce Banner? Wow, this-this is amazing! I read some of your papers on gamma radiation and I...could I ask you some questions?" Tony smiles when he gets the desired reaction. The kid releases his death grip on the man as he waits for an answer.

"Uh...ye-yeah, of course." He answers, confusion and wonder written all over his face.

Everyone mingles for a while before the rest of the stuff arrives. They eat pizza and cake before Peter attacks the pinata. Everyone is smiling, and Tony watches his kid like a hawk, soaking up the joy that spills off of him in waves. He's chasing Clint and Steve with a confetti canon while Bruce hides behind the couch.

Natasha walks over to observe with him. "You've changed." She comments, a knowing smirk crossing her face.

"Yeah…" _ He's changed me. I've done everything for him that I wished someone would do for me. The hugs, that reassurances, helping him through his nightmares, putting that-that monster away. It's everything that I dreamed of as a kid. He deserves this; he deserves to be loved and cared for, to cry and not feel like he shouldn't, to laugh and be happy, to not be afraid that at any moment someones going to hurt him, to feel safe and protected. To be a fantastic, smart, selfless, caring kid; he deserves a childhood filled with freedom. We're both damaged, but maybe we can heal each other. _

"Fatherhood is a good look on you." She adds before grabbing a piece of pizza.

Tony smiles. _ Yeah, it really is, isn't it? _

\-----

"Ready, kid?"

"Just a minute!" Peter yells. A few minutes later, the teen comes running around the corner. "Ready, Tony!" He exclaims.

"Last chance to back out." The mechanic says seriously.

"Never. I want this. And so do you."

"You've got me there." He answers with a smile.

It's been six months since Peter moved in with Tony. Things have been going well; they're both seeing a therapist, and it's helped Peter realize that he is worth saving. Tony's realized that love can heal many wounds and that showing his emotions isn't such a bad thing. He never imagined being a father; it had scared him. _ What if I turned out like Howard? What if I hurt Peter? _ He's come to understand that it's never going to happen. He has the support of his family, and he's so happy to share that family with his kid. Peter may have lost all of his blood relatives, but now he has four amazing uncles and two aunts that would kill for him. Best of all, he has a dad, something he never dreamed of being able to have. He couldn't remember his parents, so his only example was May and Ben. He still misses them dearly, but the crater-sized hole in his heart has begun to heal. He'll never be able to express his gratitude toward Tony, but he'll keep trying.

The car pulls up in front of the courthouse, and Peter is nearly overwhelmed by his nervousness. He honestly thinks he might throw up. They walk into the courtroom and are met with the smiling faces of everyone the teen cares about. All of the Avengers, even Thor, Ned, and his parents, and M.J. with her parents. They take their seats and wait for the judge.

"All rise for judge Carter."

Everyone stands until the judge is seated. "We are here today to finalize the adoption of Peter Benjamin Parker by Anthony Edward Stark. Will Peter stand, please?" He tries to hide his trembling hands as he stands. "Do you want to be adopted by Mr. Stark?"

He's taken aback by the question, and he looks at Tony. He smiles at the teen before Peter looks back to the judge. "Yes, ma'am, very much." He announces.

"Very well." She says before stamping a paper. She looks up and smiles. "Congratulations, you are now officially Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark."

Tony stands and pulls his kid, _ his kid _, into a hug. "I love you, Peter." He whispers.

"I love you too, dad." The teen whispers in response.

They both squeeze a little tighter, overjoyed that their dream has finally come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this has been awesome!
> 
> I know a lot of people were excited about Peter meeting the Avengers, so I hope that the party was enough for you. I didn't want to go super into detail with their interactions because I mostly wanted to focus on the relationship between Peter and Tony.
> 
> I felt like Tony was OOC in this fic. I hope his little inner monologue helped show why he was more emotional than usual.
> 
> Also, I got a comment in the last chapter asking if I was going to make this a series. I have been thinking about it for a while, and I may write some one-shots to help fill in the time gap. Let me know if that is something you would be interested in! 
> 
> Fun facts: 
> 
> 1\. The scene with the broken glass was the first thing I wrote for this fic.
> 
> 2\. I have been to an adoption. It was for my cousin, I believe he was fourteen at the time. It basically went the same way as Peter's. I know there is a lot more involved, but that was what happened when it became official.
> 
> Something totally unrelated to this fic: I have three stories in the works right now. One Avengers/Spider-Man, one Teen Wolf, and one How to Train Your Dragon.
> 
> 1\. Avengers/Spider-Man: Peter has his powers, he is Tony's biological child, and he gets kidnapped. I have the first chapter written.
> 
> 2\. Teen Wolf: A/B/O dynamics. Stiles is an omega that escapes from an abusive alpha and seeks the help of the Hale's. I have two chapters written.
> 
> 3\. How to Train Your Dragon: Modern AU. Humans and dragons share a special bond (simar to Eragon). Hiccup is captured and forced to commit crimes to protect his best friend. I have two chapters written.
> 
> So, my question is: do any of those stick out to you? The one gets the most votes is the one I will work on first!
> 
> I also have two Teen Wolf one-shots that are complete. I will probably post the first one in a week and the second one a week after that!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts! I will probably post once a week until I finish the end, but after that, I'll probably post more frequently.


End file.
